THE curfew and liquor ban in Davao City, which are extended until January 31, 2021, might still be extended or be lifted depending on the city's assessment on the Covid-19 situation, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said.
This is in response to the recently issued Executive Order (EO) 71 on December 30, 2020 extending EO 55-B and EO 59, which reimposes the city's 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew and the 24-hour liquor ban, respectively.
The two EOs were supposed to end on December 31, 2020.
The city also issued two EOs extending some regulations until June 30, 2021. These are the EO 69, extending the regulation of mass gatherings and the prohibition of non-essential travel within Davao City, and EO 70, extending the mandatory Other Alternative Work Arrangements (OAWA) in public and private offices.
However, the EOs for the curfew and liquor ban were only extended for a month.
Duterte-Carpio explained in a radio interview on Monday, January 4, 2021, that this does not guarantee that it will be lifted by the end of the month as this will depend on the Covid-19 situation in the city.
"Because ang kani silang duha ka (these two) activities [liquor ban and curfew] can be easily mare-assess for a lifting depending on the cases we have by the end of January, they can be easily lifted," the mayor said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio on Monday, January 4.
As for the regulation of mass gatherings and prohibition of non-essential travel, and the OAWA, these were extended for a longer period, the mayor said, as these must be implemented while the city is still under a state of pandemic.
"Kadtong uban, kadtong gi-extend until June 30, kadto sila dili to pwede magbag-o for as long as dunay pandemic (While the rest, we extended it until June 30 because these must be consistently implemented for as long as we are in a state of pandemic)," she said.
All EOs were implemented beginning mid-October 2020 when there was a recorded spike of Covid-19 cases, which resulted in the full occupancy of some Covid-19 beds in the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMF).
The city government had previously lifted the curfew and 24-hour liquor ban for the public to "self-regulate," but the mayor, later on, reimposed both regulations following the spike in Covid-19 cases and the lack of compliance.
The liquor ban and curfew were reimposed, after most cases were recorded due to gatherings way beyond work hours, which also involves drinking sessions.
According to Dr. Ashley Lopez, Davao City Health Covid-19 focal person, cases had improved in early December, more than a month when th regulations were reimposed.
But the city is expecting a surge of Covid-19 cases after the holiday celebrations.