DAVAO City and Davao De Oro, along with other provinces in the country, will now officially be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) beginning May 16.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced in a virtual press briefing on Thursday, May 14, that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has decided and approved on Wednesday, May 13, Resolution 35-A that includes all provinces in the country under GCQ, except for the National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, and Cebu City, which will be placed under modified ECQ.
Roque said GCQ areas are coronavirus disease (Covid-19) moderate-risk areas. They will be placed under GCQ until May 31.
According to the IATF-EID resolution, people will have limited movement to procure essential goods and go to work, as government offices and most businesses may resume partial operations with a maximum of 75-percent of their workforce. However, leisure and entertainment-related establishments will still be closed.
Transportation services will be limited to government and those supporting private operations. Schools may open in limited capacity and engage flexible learning arrangements.
Both Davao City and Davao de Oro were already recommended for GCQ, but were subject for verification.
Earlier, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the city will abide by the IATF-EID order.
"Mu-follow ta sa ila. Naa kana sa ilahang orders kaniadto nga ang IATF ang aduna'y naa last say kung unsa ang categorization sa imong quarantine (We will follow the order. It has been stated in their orders that the IATF has the last say on the quarantine categorization in a certain area)," Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster on Tuesday, May 12.
Duterte-Carpio added that Dabawenyos should not rejoice about the GCQ because the Covid-19 threat is still present.
Meanwhile, the mayor has yet to issue a statement regarding the recent declaration of the IATF-EID.
However, the City Government on Thursday morning issued the draft of the executive order (EO) on the specific guidelines if the city will officially shift to GCQ on May 16. The city has yet to issue the final version of the EO following the recent IATF order.
She said on Wednesday that they will release an advance copy of the draft EO for the public to read.
One of the salient points in the draft EO is the lifting of the clustering system.
Under Section 2.8, "The clustering of barangays in a district for the purposes of travel is hereby lifted. However, for the protection of the public and to control the spread within a specific community only, everyone is advised to avoid the areas identified to be Very High Risk and Medium Risk based on the risk assessment made."
The list of Very High Risk, High Risk, and Medium Risk areas have yet to be released by the city.
Earlier, Duterte-Carpio, in a radio interview on Wednesday afternoon, May 13, said that the clustering system would be retained, along with other policies on the 24-hour liquor ban, curfew, and the usage of the food and medicine (FM) pass, which are imposed under the general community quarantine.
Under the clustering system, Davao City has been divided into six clusters as a stringent measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in the city, following a spike in cases linked to a cockfight derby here held in March.
Residents were only allowed to move within their area clusters.
Meanwhile, also included in the draft ordinance is the new curfew hours for the city under GCQ. The curfew hours shall be from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Within the curfew hours, people cannot go out of their houses, except in cases of emergencies or if going to work in exempted sectors or frontline offices.
Other salient points
According to the draft EO, no one can come out of their house except those using a FM pass or those allowed to work under GCQ. However, in case of emergency, passes or any ID will not be required.
Any person below 21 years old, those who are 60 years old and above, those with immunodeficiency, comorbidities, or other health risks, and pregnant women, including any person who reside with the aforementioned, shall be required to remain in their residences at all times, except when indispensable under the circumstances for obtaining essential goods and services or for work in permitted industries and offices.
All private offices and business establishments who are GCQ exempted, whenever needed, may operate a home office or work from home system for their employees. But they will not be not be allowed to open to the public or accept clients or customers in their houses.
The City Government will also be adopting the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Memorandum Circular 20 to 22 series of 2020 and its provisionals of all the offices, establishments and industries allowed to operate during GCQ.
Government offices, meanwhile, must be on full operation despite imposing a shifting schedule, work from home arrangements and other work arrangements.
With regards to transportation, jeepneys and other mass transportation will be allowed to operate provided that physical distancing is implemented. The schedule of the ban of trucks along the highways is also lifted while two riders on motorcycles or bicycles is still prohibited.
The public is also mandated to wear face masks in all public places even when inside offices and establishments and must observe at least one meter physical distance from other individuals. Regular handwashing with soap and water should be strictly followed by the employees. Alcohol stations must be available for clients and customers.
All public and private mass gatherings are still prohibited. Any gathering of more than 10 individuals is considered a mass gathering.
Also, all religious ceremonies, meetings, prayers and gatherings are prohibited. All faith-based groups are requested to make available online ceremonies for their members.
Physical school set-up is still not allowed. All private and public educational institutions can implement a skeletal workforce to prepare for online enrollment procedures or any other system that will not create mass gathering and violate physical distancing rules.
Institutions are mandated to settle through online classes, distance learning, take home modules, home school program and other programs which do not require students to come to class until face to face classroom instruction may be allowed.
All wet markets or palengkes will be closed everyday at 5 p.m. for daily disinfection. Residents from other clusters are prohibited to visit the markets in high risk areas such as Bankerohan Market, Piapi Market and Agdao Market for their own protection. All wet markets must have an entrance, exit and one-way direction for people to go through. People cannot turn around and go back and cannot roam around the market.
Mobile palengke, rolling store, grocery on wheels, or ambulant food vendors who are using different modes of transportation to sell basic food commodities in the barangays will be allowed. Basic food commodities shall mean rice, bread, meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables, cooking oil and other food condiments. There must be a maximum of two workers, a driver and an assistant who shall wear face masks and shall implement proper food handling.
Funeral parlors, private and public cemeteries are mandated to impose a "family members only.
Meanwhile, individuals are allowed to exercise or go out in the sun or get some fresh air provided that they are within a few meters from their houses.
Also, the 911 telemedicine project would still operate to phone medical consultation.
New Normal (NN) rules
The city ordinance also states that all offices, schools, institutions, establishments, farms, factories, work sites and places of worship must create their NN rules in preparation for the lifting of the quarantine.
NN rules shall be implemented until vaccine or medicine becomes available for the public or until lifted by the government.
Davao de Oro adapts IATF order
Davao de Oro Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy said in a radio interview that the entire province will abide by the IATF-EID recommendation to shift to GCQ effective 12:01 a.m. of May 16.
Uy also said the curfew would also be changed to 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
He said the Provincial Government has yet to issue a formal EO specifying the entire GCQ guidelines to be implemented in the province.
