The entire city of Navotas will be placed under an extreme enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting Wednesday, May 6, due to rising cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the city.
Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco on Saturday signed Executive Order No. 029 ordering the extreme enhanced community quarantine in the city from 5 a.m. on Wednesday, May 6, to 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 15.
Data from the city government showed that as of Saturday afternoon, there were 48 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Navotas.
The number of quarantine violators is also rising. As of Sunday morning, police have apprehended a total of 1,248 adult quarantine violators and 594 minors.
“Despite several reminders, residents, young and old alike, continue to violate the terms of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), thereby not risking only themselves but those who they come in contact with,” the order read.
“With twelve (12) days left before 15 May 2020, we must exert extreme effort and utmost cooperation, not only to flatten the curve by said date, but also to be able to continue with our lives under the new normal and under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ),” it added.
The Navotas City government’s contact tracing efforts showed that most of the city’s COVID-19 cases went to markets and groceries in the city before they contracted the disease, the executive order stated. This shows that these are areas where transmission of community-acquired respiratory diseases is highly possible.
During the extreme enhanced community quarantine, the 18 barangays in Navotas will follow an alternating schedule on when residents can leave their houses to purchase food and other essential goods.
Those residing in SRV, North Bay Boulevard South (NBBS) Kaunlaran, Bangkulasi, BBS, Navotas East, Sipac-Almacen, Daanghari, Tangos North, and Tanza 1 will be allowed to go out and buy food and other necessities on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Meanwhile, residents of NBBS Proper, NBBS Dagat-Dagatan, North Bay Boulevard North (NBBN), BBN, Navotas West, San Jose, San Roque, Tangos South, and Tanza 2 may leave their houses on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
All public markets, groceries, and other essential supplies stores will be open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
On Sundays, public markets will be closed for cleaning and disinfection.
However, drug stores and pharmacies will be allowed to open on Sundays only to sell emergency medicines and nothing else.
The liquor ban in the city remains in effect.
Elements of the Navotas City Police Station and barangay officials will be deployed to ensure the proper implementation of the extreme ECQ. (Minka Tiangco)
