Negros Or. closes borders to non-residents

By Dolly Yasa and Glazyl Yulo- Masculino

BACOLOD City – Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo on Monday closed its borders to non-residents following the death of a councilor from Tayasan town due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID -19).

Degamo told Daily Guardian here that the border closure starts Monday evening.

The Tayasan councilor who was diagnosed with COVID-19 passed away Sunday.

The 65-year-old councilor, who was tagged as patient PH39, expired at Siliman University Medical Center (SUMC) in Dumaguete City at around 11:09 a.m. Sunday due to complications.

He was an immunocompromised patient who previously had a kidney transplant.

Bimbo Mirafflor, Negros Oriental provincial information officer, said that the provincial government passed a resolution through the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) placing the whole province under a state of calamity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Miraflor said all borders, ports, and airports of Negros Oriental are now declared closed effective immediately and shall remain in full force and effect until April 14, 2020.

He explained that all borders, ports, and airports of Negros Oriental are now closed until April 14, 2020.

Entry of persons shall be restricted except to the following:

(1) all duly identified residents of Negros Oriental, its cities and municipalities;

(2) health workers responding to emergency;

(3) members of the PNP, PCG, BFP and all branches of the AFP;

(4) persons travelling for urgent medical or humanitarian reasons; and (5) persons transporting essential goods, supplies and medicines.

The province will deny entry to all non-residents, with or without symptoms of COVID-19;

But it will allow entry to all returning residents of the Province of Negros Oriental, with or without COVID-19 symptoms. All returning residents shall be required to present a valid government issued identification card prior to entry.

All returning residents must be checked for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and undergo 14-day home quarantine; endorsements from the Barangay or LGU where they reside; and monitoring by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs).

The resolution also ordered the suspension of classes in all levels for both private and public academic institutions shall remain in full force and extended until further notice.

All air and sea travels are also banned during while the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is hereby directed to ensure that all airports in Negros Oriental remain closed until further notice, Miraflor said.

The Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Ports Authority are also directed to ensure that all ports in Negros Oriental remain closed until an order to reopen shall have been issued, he added.