Heavy traffic observed on 1st day of Holy Week lockdown

MANILA. Traffic builds up along Coastal Road leading to Roxas Boulevard due to a quarantine checkpoint on March 29, 2021. (Third Anne Malonzo)
MANILA. Traffic builds up along Coastal Road leading to Roxas Boulevard due to a quarantine checkpoint on March 29, 2021. (Third Anne Malonzo)

HEAVY traffic met motorists within the National Capital Region (NCR) plus bubble as the police established checkpoints and enforced enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) protocols against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) transmission on Monday, March 29, 2021.

Commuters, from both private and public vehicles, must present an identification card (ID) or certificate of employment and other documents to show that they are authorized persons outside residence (Apor).

Considered as Apor are: essential workers; health and emergency frontline services personnel; government officials and government frontline personnel; duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors; persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons; persons going to travel abroad; and returning overseas Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers.

Non-Apor who have to procure essentials will be asked to provide proof of their residence.

The police boarded buses and inspected public utility jeepneys to check each passenger’s documents, ensure that the number of passengers is equivalent to only half of capacity, and enforce minimum public health standards.

Unlike last year’s ECQ which suspended the public transport system, this new lockdown from March 29 to April 4, 2021 merely limits the capacity of public transport units to 50 percent.

The minimum public health standards include wearing of face masks and face shields, and physical distancing.

At the boundary of Muntinlupa City and San Pedro, Laguna and at the Susana Heights exit in Muntinlupa, many motorists who are not Apor were asked to return home.

A queue of vehicles stretching around two kilometers was observed along the coastal road due to a checkpoint upon entry to Roxas Boulevard.

Lieutenant General Hawthorne Binag, Joint Task Force Covid Shield commander, said policemen manning the checkpoints were ordered not to delay essential workers and cargoes.

“Kaya kahapon sa ating dissemination pinag-utos ng ating hepe na maging flexible ang pulis, ipatupad natin ang ECQ pero unawain din natin na kailangan natin ang essential workers kailangan natin ng manggagawa sa botika, magdedeliver ng pagkain basta lang meron silang pruweba maipakita nila na sila nga ay kasama sa essential worker at Apor,” Binag said during his inspection in a checkpoint in Muntinlupa City.

“Mas flexible para hindi kami maging sagabal sa pagdaloy ng ating mga manggagawa ating mga essential workers, frontliners at mga Apor,” he added.

Binag reiterated their appeal to non-Apor to stay at home.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has set up over 1,500 quarantine control points within the NCR plus bubble during the Holy Week ECQ from March 29 to April 4, 2021.

NCR plus includes NCR or Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal. (SunStar Philippines)

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