SAN JOSE, Antique – The provincial government here extended the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until April 14 as a higher bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019.
Upon the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19, Gov. Rhodora Cadiao issued Executive Order No. 38, series of 2020 on March 30.
The ECQ should have ended on March 31, but the growing threat of the COVID-19 to this virus-free province was the reason of the governor to place an extension. Western Visayas has a total of 22 positive cases of the virus as of March 31.
According to the new EO, all provincial borders of Antique will remain temporarily closed, along with its lone airport in this capital town and all seaports.
“People going out of the Province of Antique shall not also be allowed to enter the province until April 14,” the EO states.
“All municipal mayors of the 18 towns of Antique are enjoined to implement an enhanced community quarantine in their respective territorial jurisdictions until April 14, 2020,” the EO added.
The existing 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will also remain enforced.
Meanwhile, provincial information officer Galileo Magbanua said yesterday that they are asking the 74 stranded individuals in evacuation centers in Pandan town to be more patient since they are not yet allowed to be given the green light to return to their respective municipalities in this province.
“We are asking a little sacrifice from the ‘strandees’ because the ECQ is part of the prevention control implemented for the good of everyone,” he said.
The 74 stranded Antiqueños are workers from the world-famous Boracay Island in Malay town and other parts of Aklan province.
They were already provided with rice, corned beef, sardines, towel, and laundry soap, among others while staying there.
For his part, San Jose Mayor Elmer Untaran urged other local government units in this province to provide more food and other supplies to the stranded Añtiquenos.
He added that it is better to let the said Añtiquenos stay at the evacuation centers in Pandan first until such time that the EO will be lifted.(With a report from PNA/PN)
