THE Joint Task Force (JTF) Covid Shield is temporarily suspending the issuance of travel authority to locally stranded individuals (LSIs) who intend to travel to and from Cebu and Talisay cities in Cebu.
Cebu City is under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until June 30 while Talisay City was placed under modified ECQ but Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, with concurrence of the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force, downgraded this to general community quarantine (GCQ).
Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, JTF Covid Shield and PNP deputy chief for operations, said Sunday, June 21, that Talisay City is still covered by the suspension of movement of LSIs.
"The instruction of SILG (Secretary of Interior and Local Government) Año, who is also the vice chairman of the National Task Force Against Covid-19 was made in order to give Cebu City and Talisay City local officials ample time to contain the spread of the virus within their respective areas of responsibility," he said.
"He explained that if LSIs will be allowed to come in and go out of the ECQ and MECQ areas, this may only impact on the current strategies being employed by the local officials and other government health experts against Covid-19 not only inside Cebu City and Talisay City but also in the areas where LSIs coming from the two cities would go," he added.
Eleazar said they have informed all police commanders across the country to temporarily suspend the issuance of travel authority to LSIs going to Cebu City and Talisay City.
The regional director of Police Regional Office Central Visayas, director of the Cebu City Police Office and his station commanders, director of Cebu Police Provincial Office, and Talisay City Police Station chief were also ordered to withhold issuance of travel authority to LSIs.
The PNP has deployed at least 500 more police officers in Cebu City to augment the local police force and help enforce ECQ rules.
Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said they were closely coordinating with the local government officials and regional health offices of Cebu City to help them deal with the crisis.
"Tutulungan natin ang Cebu City na makalampas sa krisis na ito kasi patuloy pa rin ang pagdami. Ang kanyang active cases now ay 3,009 at kahapon natala may additional 211 na bagong kaso," he said.
"So kailangan talaga na matututukan natin at 'yung mga ospital dito medyo napuno na. So kailangan ng mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng ECQ para mapilitan yung mga tao na huwag na muna lumabas at manatili sa bahay mo dahil delikado," he added.
Año said they have sent an implementor from the National Task Force Against Covid-19 to help manage the situation in Cebu City.
"Sa pananaw kasi namin hindi pa na internalize ng karamihan ng ating mga kababayan sa Cebu 'yung pag observe ng health standards. Halimbawa nagsusuot lang sila ng mask at physical distancing kapag may nakita silang pulis sa paligid pero kapag wala na 'yung pulis magtatanggal sila ng mask, nagdidikit sila, nagkukumpulan eh ito talaga ang gusto ng virus, 'yung ganyang environment kaya mahihirapan tayo," he said.
"Tapos pangalawa yung mga nagpositibo sa kanila ay nandun sa kanilang mga bahay. Dapat ilabas natin yan at ilagay sa isolation facility katulad nang ginagawa sa Metro Manila. Dito sa Metro Manila magagaling talaga 'yung ating mga mayors dito. Tumingin ka sa kanilang mga isolation facilities, puno at saka sila mismo ang sumusundo. Walang hindi puwedeng tatanggi, susunduin nila sa bahay, dadalhin nila sa isolation facility, ganyan sana," he added. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo)