MAYOR Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has issued as executive order prescribing the guidelines for strict implementation of the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in the city effective July 16 until July 31, 2020 as earlier declared by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) through President Rodrigo Duterte.
This, as this city has been reverted to GCQ from modified GCQ (MGCQ) status from July 1 to July 15 as cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) continue to soar.
Salazar said order enjoins the public to comply with at all times the maximum health standards, and that movement of all persons shall be limited to accessing essential goods and services.
As it was during the first stage of GCQ in this city, persons below 21 years old and those 60 years and above, including pregnant women, are required to stay home.
E.0. 578 also prescribes which business establishments shall be allowed to operate during the GCQ period and that curfew hours remain at 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Use of Quarantine Passes (QP) shall also be strictly enforced following the usual schedule and that no QP shall be honored on Sundays, being a citywide lockdown.
The public is also required all the time to wear face mask and observe social-distancing.
Violators shall be fined P500 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense and P5,000 for third and succeeding offenses.
Meanwhile, Police Colonel Thomas Joseph Martir, Zamboanga City Police Director, said that 459 health protocol violations were recorded by the different police stations and units in this city from 5 p.m. July 15 to 5 p.m. July 16.
Martir said that topping the list of violations is non-wearing of face mask with 291 apprehensions followed by mass gatherings and safe physical distancing with 91 violators and no quarantine pass with 51 violators.
Other violations include back riding, disobedience and curfew among others, according to Martir.
He said that policemen continue to conduct patrol and monitoring from the Licomo border in the east coast to Limpapa in the west coast to ensure safety and protection of the people as well as compliance of health protocols amid the Covid-19 pandemic. (SunStar Zamboanga)