BY JOSEPH PEDRAJAS
The local government of Navotas City has set stricter measures and issued heavier fines for those who will not comply with quarantine protocols as it races against time to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Through Ordinance No. 2020-33, a 24-hour curfew shall be imposed on residents below 18 years old while the city is under community quarantine or in any form of lockdown.
Currently, Navotas is under lockdown which will end at midnight of July 30.
Only minors enrolling at schools who are accompanied by their guardians or those seeking medical attention are exempted from the restriction.
The parents of the minors who will be caught violating the ordinance will be fined P1,000 on their first offense, P2,000 on their second offense, P3,000 or imprisonment on their third offense, and P4,000 or imprisonment on the succeeding number of offense, the local government said.
“Many of our constituents thought that because of eased restrictions during the general community quarantine, they can be lax about practicing safety measures. We need to remind them that the deadly virus is still here and it continues to endanger our lives and those of our loved ones,” Mayor Toby Tiangco said in a statement.
The local government said businesses that will fail to conduct screening for employees, implement social distancing, reduce the number of people allowed in their workplace, among others, “will be slapped with P2,000 to P5,000 fine with summary suspension of [their] sanitary permit and summary closure of [their] establishment for 7-14 days.”
The city’s health department reported on July 14 a record-high 93 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1,074. (Joseph Pedrajas)
