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This Week in Palawan (July 6 to 12, 2020)
Travels to Metro Manila and other high-risk areas banned in Agutaya, Palawan
By: Denisse Shawntel Tan | July 06, 2020
Palawan is still under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) with strict local action until July 15. The province has seen an increase in positive cases in Puerto Princesa City, its capital. As of July 1, there are 13 active cases in the area. As the local government seeks to trace close contacts of the patients, they are also working on measures to lessen the spread of the virus. In one part of the province, travels to the National Capital Region (NCR) and other areas affected by COVID-19 were banned. Puerto Princesa City also implements stricter rules due to the increase of positive cases in the area. Read on for details on these lockdown news, health updates, and more.
Quarantine Updates
Travels to NCR and other COVID-19 affected areas banned in Agutaya
Up north of the province in Agutaya, a month-long travel ban to Manila, Iloilo, Cebu, and Mindoro has been implemented by Mayor Perla Bacuel. The travel ban, which took effect last June 29, is a precautionary measure to lessen the spread of COVID-19 in Agutaya. In case of emergency travels, the municipal health officer will determine who will be allowed [1]. In addition, all returnees who will arrive in Agutaya will be placed in quarantine facilities.
According to Bacuel, the municipal Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and barangay officials cooperated with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine National Philippines (PNP) to make sure that the travel ban will be in full effect. Those who will violate the protocols will be fined and penalized. The fine was not specified, but it will be in accordance with the Sangguniang Bayan ordinance.
Puerto Princesa City implements stricter measures due to new positive cases
As the number of positive cases in Puerto Princesa increased over the last days, the local government implemented stricter rules to contain the spread of COVID-19. Mayor Lucilo Bayron ordered the temporary closure of two public markets for decontamination. Contact tracing efforts were also made as new cases emerged in Barangay Santa Monica. The barangay was also placed under two-week community quarantine [2]. Other strict measures are yet to be announced, but standard health protocols such as mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, and proper hygiene and sanitation methods will be continued.
Transportation News
CAAP says airlines can use full seating capacity for special flights
Airlines are allowed to utilize their full capacity for special flights, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). According to Acting Airport Manager Florevic Sonota, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has not issued any guidelines for seating requirements for air travels. This is in contrast to land and sea travels, which indicate that seating should only be at 50% capacity. He also noted that previous flights made by the three major airlines under-utilized their seating capacity.
Local government units said that they prefer to maximize the passenger capacities in each flight, but Governor Jose C. Alvarez said that there must be social distancing during flights [3]. Previously, the Puerto Princesa City government requested to keep flights to three times per week and to adjust flight schedules. The request was made to improve the management of incoming locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Puerto Princesa. The Puerto Princesa LGU also sought to limit passenger capacity to 120 persons per flight.
Health News: Puerto Princesa records 13 active COVID-19 cases
Puerto Princesa City currently has 13 active COVID-19 cases as of July 1, the city government announced. According to reports, the latest addition was an asymptomatic 44-year-old woman who returned home from Manila last June 28 [4]. Incident Management Team Commander Dr. Dean Palanca announced that they completed the collection of swabs from close contacts of previous COVID-19 cases. They also conducted tests on returnees and transported them to quarantine facilities.
City Councilor Nesario Awat said that there’s a possibility that authorized persons outside residence (APORS) might account for the rise of cases in the city since returnees are immediately tested and quarantined [5]. APORs are free to go outside as indicated in the quarantine guidelines from the IATF. There are currently over 30 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Palawan with four recoveries, one death, and 26 active cases. Puerto Princesa holds the most number of patients in the entire province.
Go to Yoorekka for more COVID-19 updates in Palawan.
Sources:
[1] https://bit.ly/2C9n9N5
[2] https://bit.ly/2YW9K40
[3] https://bit.ly/3f1H2nZ
[4] https://bit.ly/3dTnjFG
[5] https://bit.ly/2VIjFbC
About Denisse Shawntel Tan
Denisse Tan is currently a work in progress: she’s an aspiring writer, artist, and fashion designer! She’s trying to figure out how to manage her time in achieving all of her goals while also taking in life as humanly possible. Aside from art, she’s a big fan of the color pink, disco music, Bratz dolls, and Genshin Impact. By age 35, she plans to travel to New York City 🗽.
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