Iloilo City flip-flops on quarantine status

By Jennifer P. Rendon and Joseph B.A. Marzan

Owing to the rising cases of COVID-19, Iloilo City declared that it would revert to the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).

The report was floated to the media late morning of May 17, 2021 by the Public Information Office (PIO) although no details were immediately provided.

But hours later, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said that the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (RIATF) “has not yet formally decided” on whether or not the city will move to the stricter MECQ status.

At that time, Treñas said the city’s legal team was drafting a new Executive Order containing amendments to prior Modified General CQ edicts, which he said “will be issued regardless of the IATF decision.”

He stated that regardless of the IATF decision, he will be issuing an Executive Order detailing stricter regulations in response to the growing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and shrinking number of available dedicated beds in the city.

By 3:12 p.m., Treñas signed and issued Executive Order No. 41, Series of 2021, which placed the entire City of Iloilo under MECQ effective immediately until 11:59 of May 31, unless otherwise modified or lifted earlier by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID).

A copy of the EO was posted on the Iloilo City Government’s official Facebook page.

The PIO staff also alerted the city hall’s press corps via Messenger with the link to the Facebook post, as well as a PDF copy of the said edict.

“Our COVID Team recommended a much stricter protocol to ensure the safety of the community. We are hoping for the cooperation of everyone so we can control the spike of the cases,” the EO read.

Under EO 41, Treñas cited Department of Health (DOH) reports indicating that Iloilo City logged a total of 6,946 COVID-19 cases as of May 15, 2021, with mortality doubling to 41.82.

He also noted that the Iloilo City COVID Response team reported an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases by 209.1 percent in the daily average rate of cases in May 2021 compared to April 2021.

The Iloilo City-City Health Office-City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (CHO-CESU) reported a 741 percent increase in active cases with 46 confirmed cases recorded on May 10, 2021 before rising sharply to 563 cases as of May 16, 2021, the daily average is now at 35 cases.

At around 5:47 p.m. Monday, Treñas sent a text message to Daily Guardian saying that the “implementation of the EO on MECQ is put on hold upon approval of the NIATF. Please be guided accordingly. Thank you.”

The EO 41 noted that “the surge in pandemic infections in the recent weeks overwhelmed the hospitals in Iloilo City and with bed capacity becoming full to critical, the majority of the hospitals temporarily stopped the admission of patients.

“Further, most private hospitals in Iloilo City, despite being overwhelmed, are discouraged from increasing their bed capacities for Covid patients attributable to unsettled claims from state health insurer, Philhealth.”

Based on DOH parameters, Iloilo City has been categorized under the “high risk” epidemic level, as of May 15, 2021. Thus, the need for a higher and stricter quarantine classification, Treñas said.

 

DOS AND DON’TS

The suspended EO was supposed to dial back the permissiveness of the MGCQ to the “near-end, buckle-tight” restrictions of the highest level, which is the ECQ.

To note, the city was placed under ECQ when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in March 2020 to the end of May 2020.

Under MECQ, all persons shall not be permitted outside their residence from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. except for medical, government and uniformed personnel and those who are obtaining essential goods and services, or working in essential services of industries and offices that the nature of their work requires them to report to a night shift.

Vulnerable sectors (such as persons below 18 and above 65 years old; pregnant women; persons with comorbidities, immune-deficiencies and other risk factors; and persons with disabilities) are required to stay at home, unless they are going out to buy food, medicines, other essentials, seek medical or clinical care, seek medical consultation and work in offices, industries, and establishments allowed to work at full capacity.

It is also given that certain establishments and activities shall be prohibited:

– Entertainment venues with live performers such as karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, and cinemas;

– Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues;

– Amusement parks or theme parks, fairs/peryas, kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides;

– Indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities, and swimming pools;

– Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits (including ‘e-Sabong’), lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office;

– Indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits;

– Outdoor tourist attractions;

– Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions;

– Personal care services which include beauty salons and parlors, medical aesthetic clinics, cosmetic or derma clinics, make-up salons, nail spas, reflexology, aesthetics, wellness, and holistic centers, and other similar establishments, acupuncture and electrocautery establishments, and massage therapy including sports therapy establishments, tanning services, body piercings, tattooing, and similar services; and

– Home service for these activities are likewise not permitted.

Restaurants, eateries and other food establishments are strongly encouraged to open onto for take-out. Dine-in services shall be limited to 20 percent seating capacity or it could be stretched to 50 percent seating capacity for al fresco or outdoor setting subject to strict compliance to EO Nos. 169 and 169-A series of 2020.

Section 3 of EO No. 169, s. 2020 mandating the installation of barriers in bars and restaurants include the following regulations:

– Installment of partitions/barriers along dining tables, bar stations, and cashier’s counters;

– Pass-throughs or openings should be as small as possible and should not be located in the breathing zone of either user;

– Partitions/barriers must be treated as contaminated surfaces and should be cleaned twice daily or more frequently if visibly soiled, with the use of mild soap and water or a compatible disinfectant;

– Microfiber or reusable cloths used to wash or dry the partition/barriers should be laundered before reuse; and

– Partitions/barriers must still be used in conjunction with other critical infection prevention and control measures, including frequent handwashing, disinfection, respiratory etiquette, physical distancing and mandatory use of face masks.

 

WORK ARRANGEMENTS

The EO also encouraged work-from-home arrangement except for establishments and offices that can operate with full onsite capacity.

The following establishments are allowed to operate with full on-site capacity:

– Public and private hospitals;

– Health, emergency, and frontline services, including those provided by dialysis centers, chemotherapy centers, HMOs, health insurance providers, disaster risk reduction management officers, and public safety officers, and the like;

– Manufacturers of medicines and vitamins, medical supplies, devices, and equipment, including suppliers of input, packaging, and distribution;

– Industries involved in agriculture, forestry, fishery, and other components of the food value chain and their workers, including farmers and fisherfolks;

– Logistics service providers;

– Essential and priority construction projects, whether public or private, in accordance with Department of Public Works and Highways guidelines;

– Manufacturing related to food and other essential goods;

– Companies that manufacture, distribute, and/or supply equipment or products necessary for construction or maintenance works, or spare parts;

– Essential retail trade and service establishments such as public markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies or drug stores, hardware, office supplies, bicycle shops, laundry shops, and water-refilling stations;

– Public and private financial service providers involved in distribution of government grants and amelioration subsidies;

– Business process outsourcing (BPO) establishments, and export-oriented businesses, including mining and quarrying activities; and

– Public transport providers and operators.

It will also cover industries involved in agriculture (crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock and poultry), forestry, fishery, and such other components of the food value chain and their workers, including farmers and fisher folks; logistics service providers (delivery and courier services; and cargo handling; warehousing; trucking; freight forwarding; shipping, port and terminal operators).

All private establishments and offices are allowed to operate at 30 percent capacity while encouraging work-from-home and flexible work arrangements.

Government offices shall remain fully operational with a skeletal workforce on-site, enjoined to operate at 30 percent capacity, determined by the head of the agency, in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission.

Meanwhile, the Iloilo City Government’s departments are also directed to adopt 30 percent on-site work capacity insofar as practicable.

Hotels and accommodation establishments with valid Department of Tourism (DOT) accreditation shall be allowed to accommodate guests for legitimate purposes under a state of public health emergency, and establishments within their premises should also be subject to guidelines by the DOT and the IATF-MEID.

But swimming pools and other similar swimming amenities of resorts, hotels, accommodation establishments and condominiums shall be temporarily closed.

Public gatherings and gatherings of persons outside the immediate household are prohibited, except for those which are essential for provision of health services, government services, or humanitarian activities authorized by the appropriate agency.

 

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES

Religious gatherings are allowed only up to 30 percent of the venue capacity, along with continued compliance with their submitted protocols and minimum public health standards.

Weddings, christenings, or baptismal rites are strongly discouraged except for those already scheduled, provided that they can only be attended to by immediate family members or a maximum of 30 percent seating capacity, whichever is lower.

Gatherings for wakes, burials, and other necrological services for causes other than COVID-19 may be allowed, but only for a maximum of 3 days, and only for immediate family members of the first degree if conducted within the residence.

If they are to be conducted at funeral parlors or mortuaries, proof of relationship with the deceased and the attendees must be inspected by the facilities’ management.

As of this writing, Daily Guardian sought clarification from the Iloilo City Government on the non-inclusion of the sale and consumption of alcoholic products in the new edict.

Previous Eos allowed the sale of liquor in stores until 6 p.m. daily.

While public and private transport operators would be allowed at full capacity under this new EO, it also states that road, maritime and aviation transport sectors are allowed to operate according to Department of Transportation guidelines during MECQ, with movement of cargo and delivery vehicles remaining unhampered.

Shuttle services of permitted establishments should maintain compliance with minimum public health standards, with all drivers and passengers wearing face masks, maintaining a distance of 1 seat apart, with transparent anti-COVID-19 dividers between seating areas, and maintenance of a log book to easily track passengers/employees.

 

VACCINATION AND QUARANTINE 

Vaccination roll-outs at identified vaccination sites will also remain unhampered, with only confirmed residents on the priority list and vaccination tickets allowed at sites, and continued observance of strict minimum public health standards.

Home quarantine for confirmed COVID-19 cases is now strictly prohibited, except for senior citizens, provided that home arrangements allow for their isolation and with inspection and approval by Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs).

In an interview prior to the issuance of the EO, Treñas was adamant on tightening the city’s quarantine measures because of the surge in cases. But he is willing to retract the EO if his request was denied.

“I had the EO made. I already told [DILG Iloilo City Director Oscar Lim] that I am preparing the EO, and he would be okay with it if the request would be approved. I am only asking until the end of the month, but if that portion, or any portion of the EO would be modified, they may be modified. But if our MECQ request would not be approved, I will retract the EO,” the mayor said in an interview.

Daily Guardian already confirmed with the office of Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. that there would be no border restrictions in place between the city and the province of Iloilo should the city shift to a stricter quarantine level.