Travel in Cebu and Talisay cities temporarily banned

June 21, 2020

The government temporarily banned travel in the cities of Cebu and Talisay which were placed on strict quarantine measures due to the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections in the two areas.

 

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano issued the directive after President Rodrigo Duterte placed Cebu City under  enhanced community quarantine and Talisay under modified enhanced community quarantine until June 30.

 

Residents of the two cities who are stranded in Metro Manila and other parts of the country will have to wait longer until the quarantine protocols are eased.

 

People who are stranded in Cebu and Talisay are not allowed to leave while strict lockdown measures are in place.

 

“As per instruction of Sec. Eduardo Ano, the movement of LSIs coming from or going to ECQ and MECQ areas will not be allowed temporarily,” PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement.

Ano said strict enforcement of ECQ in Cebu City is needed as hospitals are feeling the strain.


''The enforcement of ECQ must be strict so people will not leave their homes because it is dangerous,'' said Ano in a radio interview.


Asked why cases in Cebu spread quickly,  Ano said :''We believe many have not yet internalized health standards. For example, they wear face masks and follow social distancing if they see a policeman, but when the policeman is gone, they remove their masks and stay close together.''


The coronavirus disease, added Ano, thrives on that kind of environment.

Ano added that people are positive of COVID-19 just stay in their homes. "They should be in an isolation facility like what we do in Metro Manila,'' he said.'' And these people cannot refuse when local officials fetch them ( to go to the isolation facility).

 

Police officers have beefed up security in the two cities to prevent people from breaching the cities' borders.

 

Eleazar said allowing locally stranded individuals to come come in and out of Cebu and Talisay will affect strategies to address the COVID-19 outbreak being imposed by local officials in other localities as well.

 

Suspending travel to the cities will benefit local government officials as it would give them more time to contain the spread of COVID-19.

 

The PNP sent 100 police officers to Cebu to beef up its forces in enforcing quarantine protocols. DMS