THE CEBU province is now under general community quarantine beginning Wednesday.
However, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia specified in Executive Order (EO) No. 17 signed on Tuesday that Talisay City’s risk classification status is shifted to modified community quarantine (MECQ) from ECQ.
Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas issued an EO on May 18 shifting from ECQ to MECQ starting Wednesday.
The city of Mandaue remains under ECQ following the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) resolution retaining its risk classification due to the rising number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.
The EO provides minimum mandatory public health standards such as wearing face masks, hand washing or sanitizing, placing of disinfecting foot baths in workplaces, temperature checks on all persons and safe physical distancing.
It imposes a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. of the following day for non-workers and residents who are not exempt from stringent quarantine protocols.
With the exception of medical emergencies, residents in towns and cities who are below 21 years old, save for workers, and “persons with immunodeficiencies and other health risks are directed to observe 24-hour home quarantine.
“Subject to existing laws, rules, regulations and order of the National Government, the entry of persons into the Province of Cebu from other zones or provinces shall not be allowed,” the EO read.
Border crossing from Cebu City into the boundaries with Talisay in the south, Mandaue in the north, Balamban in the west, and from the neighboring islands of Mactan and Cordova is still not allowed under GCQ.
Although under the lighter quarantine measures, gyms, fitness, sports, recreation centers, bars, pubs, karaoke establishments, movie houses, public swimming pools, cockpits, and other recreation establishments will remain closed.
However, dine-in restaurants, fast food chains and carinderias are now allowed to open but limited only to 50 percent of their “customer carrying capacity.”
Establishments are not allowed to use air conditioning units and should designate hand washing or sanitizing stations for the customers.
“Any establishment caught violating this order shall warrant the revocation of their business permit by the LGU (local government unit,” the order read.
With the lighter risk classification, banks and other financial institutions are now allowed to open in regular operating hours.
But malls and shopping centers are only allowed in “limited operations” to comply with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) memorandum circular setting guidelines for their operations under GCQ.
Physical classes in schools are still suspended.
Public transportation is now allowed but will operate at a reduced capacity to comply with the Department of Transportation and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board guidelines on physical distancing and limited passenger capacity per unit, among others, and wearing of face masks.
Bus and minibus operators are required to screen passengers and allow only persons permitted to travel under GCQ to board the vehicles.
The EO also encourages residents to observe health regimen to boost immune system to effectively combat Covid-19 such as drinking of eight to 12 glasses of water a day, warm turmeric-salabat tea twice a day, freshly squeezed calamansi juice twice a day, sleeping eight hours a day, maintaining a balanced diet, staying under the sun for at least 30 minutes between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 pm. to 6 p.m.
It also encourages residents to perform steam inhalation (tuob, in Cebuano) twice a day and regular taking of vitamin C, B and Zinc.
Beach and river bathing and swimming are now allowed under GCQ but only between 6 a.m. and 12 noon, and individual outdoor and non-contact exercise between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., while physical or sports activities not requiring team between 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The EO also orders strict physical distancing in private vehicles and limits their capacity to four for sedan and pickup and five for sports and Asian utility vehicles and vans.
Garcia encouraged supermarkets, wet markets, grocery stores, agri-fishery supply stores, pharmacies and establishment engaged in selling essential goods to extend operating hours to a maximum of 12 hours.
The EO allowed churches to open but only for visits to the Blessed Sacrament while maintaining anti-Covid-19 health standards like wearing of face masks, physical distancing, and limiting three churchgoers per pew, as well as installation of sanitizers or disinfectant and observing routine sanitation and disinfection in church premises.
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