Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has issued Executive Order (EO) 20-20, placing Negros Occidental under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for 14 days starting March 30.
The ECQ, to be implemented as a precaution against the spread or local transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), will begin at 12:01 a.m. on March 30 and will remain in force and in effect until 11:59 p.m. on April 14.
“The purpose of this is to limit the number of people on the streets. This is possible if we all cooperate. Your relatives in Manila have been doing this already for, I think, two weeks now. They’re managing so let’s also (do) that in Negros Occidental,” Lacson said in a press conference hours before signing the five-page order yesterday afternoon.
EO 20-20 stated that “(a) strict home quarantine shall be observed in all households; movement shall be limited to accessing basic necessities; provision for food and essential health services shall be regulated; and there will be a heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine procedures.”
Only private establishments providing basic necessities and engaging in activities related to food and medical supplies shall be open. These include public markets, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies/drug stores, food preparations and delivery services, water refilling stations, laundry services, manufacturers of basic food products and medicines, banks, money transfer service, petroleum, power, energy, water and telecommunication supplies and facilities, business processing outsourcing establishments, and sugar centrals.
In all open establishments, their respective managements are required to ensure the adoption of a strict skeletal workforce, which shall not exceed 25 percent of their regular plantilla employees to support operations.
They should also provide the workers living quarters in their respective workplaces for the entire 14 days, and strictly monitor the condition of their workers.
In the same period, operations of all public utility vehicles, including buses, jeepneys, taxis, V-hire vans, tricycles, e-tricycles, trisikad, and similar forms, shall also be suspended.
During the 14 days, local government units (LGUs) are directed to devise and implement a scheme of delivering food packs and other basic necessities directly to vulnerable households within their respective cities and municipalities, and grant ECQ passes to one person per household, authorizing them to leave their residence for purposes of buying food, medicines, and other necessities.
The LGUs are also instructed to devise and implement a point-to-point (P2P) transportation plan to deliver family representatives to and from the market or stories, and grant limited ECQ passes to the management and employees of essential businesses for the transport of products within the boundaries of their respective cities and municipalities.
Meanwhile, the provincial government will devise and implement a scheme to deliver food packs to vulnerable municipalities and cities, and a P2P transport plan to deliver its employees and health care workers to and from their workplace.
It will also grant limited ECQ passes to the management and employees of essential businesses, authorizing them to transport products.
Moreover, persons authorized outside their residence are only those employed by essential establishments; government employees, including those of LGUs and national government agencies; private medical service providers; funeral service providers; emergency responders; peace and security officers; delivery personnel and drivers of food and goods cargo.
Also allowed outside are key officials and employees of utilities; media personnel; private individuals from each household; farm employees, paymasters, and management; sugar, rice, corn, and flour mill employees and management; management, drivers, and one helper of hauling services. (Nanette Guadalquiver ndb via pna)