No lockdown in Boracay, Malay LGU says

By Jennifer P. Rendon

One of three confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Aklan province is from Malay town.

But the Malay local government unit (LGU) debunked an online report that the world-famous Boracay Island in the municipality is on lockdown.

In a statement released Saturday evening, the town made clarification on the news article of GMA News Online on the status of the island of Boracay and the Municipality of Malay due to the first confirmed case of COVID-19.

First, it stressed that the island is not under lockdown, as of this writing. Also, Boracay District Hospital does not exist.

Instead, the hospital in the island is named “Ciriaco H. Tirol Hospital” located in Barangay Balabag.

The town’s acting municipal mayor is Frolibar S. Bautista.

The report published by GMA News Online stated that “a doctor and two senior citizens have tested positive for COVID-19 in Boracay Island, leading to a total lockdown order of the whole island from Malay town Mayor Dinky Romano.”

But the Malay LGU noted that Dinky Romano is the town mayor of Bacacay, Albay.

As of Saturday, the Department of Health-Center for Health Development 6 (DOH-CHD6) reported that Western Visayas has 16 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The three positive cases in Aklan were reported on March 27. Only one patient was from Malay.

The other two confirmed cases were from the municipalities of Libacao and Kalibo

As of Friday, the town reported 343 persons under monitoring (PUMs), with 177 PUMs already cleared.

Only one was categorized as person under investigation (PUI).

A PUI is a person with signs and symptoms and have travel history to infected areas while PUM is a person who has no signs and symptoms of COVID-19 but has travel history to infected areas and may have been exposed to infected persons.

On Saturday, Bautista signed Executive Order No. 015-A which amends EO 15, “An Order Restricting the Movement of Persons, Regulating Commerce and the Entry of Goods Either by Air, Sea, and Land within the Territorial Jurisdiction of the Municipality of Malay, and Imposing Medical Protocols to Contain the Spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Under the amendment, “All persons, regardless of nationality, or working credentials and/or origin shall be prohibited entry and exit – to and from – the territorial jurisdiction of the Municipality of Malay.

The operation of all public transport operating within Malay shall be suspended during the duration of Aklan’s enhanced community quarantine.

All Malay villages were told to strictly observe social distancing and home quarantine.

Those “essential” personnel are still exempted under the amended EO.