MASANTOL -- To prevent the entry of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in town, the local government unit (LGU) is implementing special curfew hours during weekends.
Mayor Danilo Guintu signed Executive Order (EO) No. 028 S. 2020, which limits the entry and exit of people in the municipality from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. until the next morning every Fridays and Saturdays.
The measure expanded the curfew hours implemented under modified general community quarantine, which starts at 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day.
Guintu said the expanded curfew hours are added protection for the municipality as it remains Covid-19 free as of Saturday evening, July 11, 2020.
“With the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the past weeks, with our nearby Apalit town having more than a dozen active cases, it is only imperative that we adopt an additional measure to safeguard our community and people from the virus,” he said.
Under the EO, persons going to and coming from the airport, returning and repatriated overseas Filipino workers and workers going back home are prohibited to cross borders during curfew hours.
Exempted from the movement restrictions are cargoes and delivery personnel, essential workers such as uniformed personnel, medical workers and those conducting humanitarian missions.
Guintu urged Masantol residents who are working outside of the municipalities to avoid going home as much as possible to protect their families and the community, as they may be silent carriers of Covid-19.
“In this time when we cannot see our enemy, I believe we have to take every possible measure that will ensure our safety. If you are working from high-risk places, I believe that the best way to show your love to your family is to not go home in the meantime,” the mayor said.
He also clarified that the measure is not aimed at discriminating non-residents but intended to minimize the threat of Covid-19 among Masantoleños.
“We are not after discriminating people because we understand that they, too, want to keep themselves safe as much as possible but we also hope that they will understand our situation here,” he said.