COVID-19 surges in Aklan, Cebu force Iloilo City to hard lockdown

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Recent surges in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Aklan and the city and province of Cebu prompted Iloilo City to impose hard lockdown policies starting today, August 3, to August 8, 2021.

The Iloilo City Government on Monday morning announced that the city will be placed under “hard lockdown” to slow the spread of the “more contagious” COVID Delta variant.

In a statement, Mayor Jerry Treñas cited higher numbers of new cases and increased hospitalizations in Aklan and Cebu.

The Department of Health (DOH) national COVID-19 Tracker indicated that as of August 1, Aklan has 1,564 new COVID-19 cases, while Cebu City has 2,686 cases and Cebu province with 2,350, all within the past 14 days.

DOH-Western Visayas Center for Health Development’s (DOH-WV CHD) latest weekly situational report on Monday indicated that from July 16 to 29, Aklan posted a 2-Week Growth Rate (2WGR) of 17 percent and an Average Daily Attack Rate (ADAR) of 21.29. The numbers placed the province under High Risk for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, DOH-Central Visayas CHD’s COVID-19 Tracker showed that as of August 1, Cebu province’s 2WGR as 147 percent and ADAR of 3.82 percent. Cebu City’s 2WGR is 112 percent and ADAR of 18.67 percent.

“From Aug. 3 to 8, I will place the city on hard lockdown as protection for everyone here. Aklan and Cebu are both experiencing a surge; their hospitals are full with patients already being confined outside the facility. We don’t want the same scenario in Iloilo City,” Treñas said in a press release.

In a virtual press conference Monday, the mayor added that the hard lockdown was meant to prepare the city’s hospitals for a possible case surge due to the Delta variant, citing the lack of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) COVID-dedicated beds in Iloilo province and Guimaras.

Iloilo City Health Office (ICHO) data as of August 1 showed that 53.4 percent of COVID patients admitted to the city’s hospitals are from Iloilo province while city-based patients only accounted for 39.0 percent of hospitalizations.

The other COVID patients are from Antique (2.5 percent), Capiz (2.1 percent), Aklan (1.8 percent), and Guimaras (1.2 percent).

The ICHO also projected that 468 beds are needed in city hospitals to effectively respond to a COVID-19 surge.

Treñas also explained that the duration of the hard lockdown coincides with the extended current Enhanced Community Quarantine in the city.

“This hard lockdown is really to allow hospitals to prepare for a surge. While we are under lockdown, cases in our hospitals are mostly from outside. We also have to understand that Iloilo province has no ICU facility, that is why all severe cases are referred here, and that is also why we are preparing for them. We are doing this [six-day lockdown] because we are under ECQ and we will still have to wait if the status of our health care facilities will improve,” Treñas said.

 

WHAT’S IN THE HARD LOCKDOWN?

Tighter restrictions will be imposed on August 3-8 based on Executive Order No. 70 that Treñas issued on Monday.

The curfew will now start earlier at 8 p.m. Exempted from the curfew are workers in Business or Knowledge Process Outsourcing (BPO/KPO) firms, warehouses and logistics, ports, arrastre, food manufacturing, storage and preservation, hospitals, media, and other similar businesses or occupations that require employees to work after curfew hours.

The sale of alcoholic drinks will also be temporarily banned.

Travel into the city from other parts of Panay Island will be strictly prohibited as well, except for:

-Work;

-Medical needs;

-Accessing government services;

-Transport of goods or construction materials;

-Humanitarian purposes;

-Receiving first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine;

-Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROF), or Returning Residents from the city, or Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APOR);

-Residents of Iloilo province; or

-Residents of Guimaras.

Travelers shall present a valid ID along with the following documents, which may vary per person:

-Proof of affiliation or valid professional identification card, and employment certificate or travel pass issued by the employer (for health and emergency services personnel, health staff, government personnel, government and non-government APORs, media personnel, delivery personnel, force multipliers, and BPO and export-oriented personnel);

-Travel passes issued by barangays (for persons engaged in business in the city and province of Iloilo);

-Confirmed airline tickets (for persons going to the airport);

-Vaccination card or vaccination ticket (for those getting their COVID-19 vaccines);

-Proof of filiation to the deceased (for first-degree family members of deceased attending necrological or burial services);

-Up-to-date medical referral or certificate or prescription, or proof of appointment with government offices, proof of affiliation to non-government organizations, and any relevant document to justify the purpose of travel (for persons traveling for medical or humanitarian purposes or availing essential government services, duly authorized humanitarian assistance actors, and persons transporting medical supplies, laboratory specimens, and COVID-19 vaccines); and

-Certificate of residency (Residents of Iloilo City, Iloilo province, or Guimaras).

Except for ROFs, inbound air and sea travel are also prohibited starting August 4, including from Negros Island, as Treñas clarified in Monday’s press conference.

Establishments allowed to work at full capacity include:

-Public and private hospitals, and other related essential health care facilities;

-Manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment;

-Industries involved in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry;

-Logistics service providers;

-Essential priority construction projects (whether public or private);

-Public and private financial service providers involved with distribution of government grants and amelioration subsidies;

-Public transport providers (subject to Department of Transportation guidelines).

Sectors allowed at 50 percent capacity include:

-Manufacturing for food and other essential goods;

-Manufacturing, distribution, and/or suppliers of construction materials;

-Essential retail trade establishments (supermarkets, markets, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, drug stores, hardware, office supplies, laundry shops, and office supplies);

-Food preparation establishments (limited to takeout and delivery services);

-Media establishments including reporters and other field employees; and

-Hotels and accommodation establishments (subject to guidelines by the Department of Tourism).

BPOs can operate at 30 percent capacity and alternative work arrangements are highly encouraged.

Establishments allowed to operate with a skeletal workforce include:

-Dental, rehabilitation, optometry, and other medical clinics for treatment of illness or injuries;

-Veterinary clinics;

-Banks and money transfer services (including pawnshops);

-Water supply and janitorial/sanitation services;

-Energy sector, third party contractors and service providers;

-Telecommunications, internet services, and cable television services, including technical and sales personnel;

-Airline and aircraft maintenance, pilots and crew, and employees of aviation schools;

-Licensed security personnel;

-Authorized printing establishments;

-Repair and maintenance of machinery, equipment, and motorized and non-motorized vehicles;

-Real and personal property leasing;

-Recruitment and placement activities for employment in permitted sectors;

-Teachers, professors and other staff for the conduct of online and flexible classes;

-Lawyers for legal representation and legal services, and law firms;

-Other establishments for buying and selling goods on the internet;

-Payroll managers and accounting firms; and

-Appliance stores with ancillary delivery services.

Local and national government offices are also encouraged to employ skeletal workforce, except for those in the Iloilo City Government providing frontline services which should be at 30 percent.

The City Health Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office will still operate at 100 percent capacity.

All other establishments not mentioned in the EO are prohibited. Prohibited establishments selling essential goods are also covered by the ban.

Mass gatherings are still banned, and now includes religious services such as marriages and baptisms.

Funeral and burial services are only allowed for immediate family members and must not exceed 20 persons.