Iloilo City imposes heightened restrictions under ECQ until Aug. 8

The Iloilo City government on Tuesday imposed heightened restrictions under its enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) classification until August 8 to prevent the surge of COVID-19 cases, as well as the threat of the Delta variant in the city.

Heightened restrictions under ECQ in the city started at 12:01 a.m. of August 3, and will last until 11:59 p.m. of August 8 "until the said period is extended or lifted," as stated in an executive order signed by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.

"Throughout the implementation of this Executive Order, the movement of all persons shall be limited only to accessing goods and services from permitted establishments, for work in such establishments at a capacity as provided hereafter, for inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines, and for any other activities permitted in this Order," it read.

A city-wide border control was implemented, with the travel of persons within Panay Island to the City of Iloilo by way of land, sea and air travel temporarily prohibited except the following:

• work;
• medical needs;
• accessing government services;
• transport of goods and/or construction materials;
• humanitarian purposes;
• receiving first/second dose of Covid-19 vaccine;
• returning overseas Filipino workers, returning Iloilo City residents, and Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APOR);
• residents of Iloilo Province; and
• residents of Guimaras Province.

Curfew hours are implemented from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., as well as the total liquor ban.

Persons in the vulnerable sectors, including persons with more than 65 years of age, those below 18 years of age, pregnant women, persons with comorbidities, immune-deficiencies and other risk factors and persons with disabilities were required to remain in their residences at all times with some exceptions.

Iloilo City government offices and government agencies adopted a skeletal workforce work arrangement.

Starting 12 a.m. of August 4 until 11:59 p.m. of August 8, all inbound travel from areas outside Region VI shall be temporarily suspended except for returning Overseas Filipino Workers.

Mass gatherings are also prohibited until August 8.

The government’s COVID-19 task force on July 16 placed Iloilo province and the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and Gingoog under enhanced community quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19.—Jamil Santos/AOL, GMA News