PANABOANS who are caught in public places not wearing face masks will now be penalized with as high as P3,000 fine or will face up to 30 days of imprisonment.
Panabo City Mayor Jose Relampagos signed and publicized the City Ordinance 62-2020, or "An Ordinance Mandating The Compulsory Wearing of Face Mask During Or On Occasion of Public Health Emergency And Providing Penalties For Violation Thereof" or the "Mandatory Face Mask Ordinance of 2020."
This will take effect within the duration of the pandemic, and the state of public health emergency.
According to the ordinance, all persons within the territorial jurisdiction of the city, including visitors, tourists, or those with business transactions, are required to wear face masks.
Establishments and institutions, both public and private, are also mandated to impose a "No Face Mask, No Entry" policy.
Violators of the ordinance will be fined P500 for first offense, P1,000 for second offense and for third and subsequent offenses, a fine of P3,000 and an imprisonment of not more than 30 days will be imposed, subject to the discretion of the court.
Establishments that will not abide by the ordinance would also be penalized.
In an explanatory note by the Panabo City Councilor and ordinance author Wendel Enad, he said it is part of the city's effort in curbing the Covid-19 transmission in their locality.
"The current public health crisis brought about by the outbreak of the dreaded virus globally known as Covid-19, may well best illustrate how the government must respond and devise means in an effort to contain the transmission of the same in order to save the lives of many," he said.
The councilor said passing the ordinance could help reduce and contain the transmission within their area.
Based on the data from the Provincial Health Office of Davao del Norte, Panabo has a total of 71 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 67 of them already recovered, while four are still recovering. No deaths had been recorded.
Department of the Interior and Local Government-Davao Region Director Alex Roldan previously urged different local government units in the region to impose their respective ordinances to enforce the mandatory observation of health protocols.