Iloilo to ban public gatherings anew

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

Iloilo province is reintroducing one of its Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) restrictions after Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. announced on Thursday that he is preparing an executive order (EO) prohibiting public gatherings and events amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In a press conference, Defensor revealed that contact tracers recommended the prohibition as they attributed new COVID-19 cases in the province to public gatherings such as birthdays, funerals, and other similar occasions.

The governor previously limited the number of persons allowed to attend events and gatherings to 30 percent of the venue capacity, or 75 persons, regardless of venue size as mandated by EO No. 183-C.

“We have a new EO, we go back to ECQ in public events and gatherings only. Why? Because all of our contact tracing, and even as recommended by the PNP contact tracers, the problems are with birthdays, funerals, and other similar occasions,” Defensor said.

The governor clarified that the province will not go back to ECQ but will only implement the prohibition on mass gathering which took effect from March to May 2020.

Iloilo province has been under Modified General CQ since June 1.

He also added that this was meant to easily address the province’s COVID-19 situation.

“We will not go back to ECQ. We will prohibit again public events and gatherings similar to the time of ECQ. There will be no public gatherings in the meantime, so we can address our weak points. We have to tighten again because we have to heighten our considerations,” the governor added.

 

LOOSENING RESTRICTIONS

Defensor also addressed the possibility of loosening restrictions in the province, in part due to the downtrend in new COVID-19 cases.

From Nov 1 to 4, the Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) reported that Iloilo province only reported 112 new COVID-19 cases.

The governor fended off signs of complacency, saying that loosening restrictions does not shun the threat of COVID-19 in the province.

“If ever that we are loosening [restrictions], it is not a sign that we are out of the forest. It doesn’t mean that the situation has gotten better. Not that I want to rain on the party or be pessimistic, but in the past days we’ve reached up to 82 [in new COVID-19 cases]. There were days where we had 46 [cases], then 9 [cases], so it is erratic. It’s not yet the reason for us to loosen [restrictions],” Defensor said.

The governor, however, also showed confidence in relaxing restrictions, pointing to the issuances of the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

He specifically mentioned IATF Resolution No. 79, which allowed for travel between zones under GCQ or lower.

He said he will discuss with several key agencies the move to allow persons who are not Authorized Persons Outside or Residence (APOR), or non-APORs, to travel to the province to increase traffic.

Non-APORs include Locally Stranded Individuals (LSI), Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROF), non-essential travelers, and even tourists.

“Because we are balancing, the reason that we would be loosening is because of compliance to national government issuances, specifically the national IATF Resolution No. 79 where the direction of the national government is moving towards the opening of borders so that we can give way to more people exchange and circulation in the Philippines, to increase the foot traffic in our cities and municipalities, and of course to catalyze movement in our economy,” the governor said.