OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental (PIA)— To shield the city from local transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Mayor Sancho Fernando Oaminal issued Executive Order No. 2020-SFO-11, placing the city under community quarantine from March 18 (12 noon) to March 31, 2020 (12 noon).
During this time, the movement of residents would be limited to only essential and work-related trips while uniformed personnel and health or quarantine officials would be deployed to border points.
With this, the entry at checkpoints of all land, air and sea travel effective 12 noon on Wednesday, March 18, is prohibited and suspended until 12 noon on 31 March 2020, unless earlier revoked or extended.
Tourists, visitors, and returning residents will be denied entry during this period.
The entry of goods and supplies, however, will not be affected, provided that the carriers will be able to show pertinent documents, showing its origin and recipient/consignee, among others.
Carrier of goods by land is limited to only one driver and one helper who must bring at all times their employee identification card.
Carriage of goods by sea will be allowed. However, its crew will not be allowed to disembark from the vessel, and no trucks and/or vehicles can be unloaded from it.
Operation of barges plying the route of Mukas to Ozamiz and vice versa, are temporarily prohibited.
The following are exempted from the prohibition and/ or suspension of entry: individuals who are seeking immediate medical attention, which will be assisted by policemen until they are admitted to hospitals; authorized Health Care Providers and Emergency Frontline Workers (with proper identification) including law enforcers;
Law enforcers; and individuals working in Ozamiz but are living outside the City, provided they can adduce proof of their employment in an establishment or office within the territorial jurisdiction of the City, such as latest Certificate of Employment and/ or valid employee identification card.
Further, individuals working outside the city can come in provided that they present latest Certificate of Employment and/or valid employee identification card.
Transient or people who are just passing through and whose intended and/ or final destination in the City of Ozamiz, may be allowed entry after strict and stringent scrutiny and upon determination that their entry will not pose a risk to the inhabitants of the City.
Provided, however, that they will not make any stop-overs and they will leave the jurisdiction of the city as soon as possible.
To ensure compliance, all those who are passing through will be escorted by policemen until they leave the city’s territorial jurisdiction, the EO said.
The curfew will remain from 10 p.m. until 4 p.m.
Moreover, in support of the provincial governor’s order, all establishments are now mandated to close not later than 8 p.m. except for medical centers and pharmacies.
All establishments are compelled to strictly enforce social distancing measure at least one meter radius between and among persons. Failure to comply with this requirement would warrant the revocation of an establishment’s business permit and its non-renewal for a period of one year.
There will be no restriction in the movement of cargoes but drivers and workers would be screened for COVID-19 symptoms. (SMRN/PIA10)