Rizal province on total lockdown starting April 6 to curtail COVID-19 spread

Rizal province will be on total lockdown starting Monday, April 6, to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Acting Rizal Governor Reynaldo San Juan issued Executive Order 14 declaring a total lockdown in the entire province and restricting entry into and from its borders to address the rising cases of the coronavirus disease.

Those who will be exempted from the restriction are only those working in supermarkets, markets, hospitals, food preparation, and delivery, transport delivery service, agricultural supply, and other working business establishments allowed by the national government to operate.

Authorized government officials, health workers, media personnel, repatriated OFWs, and religious ministers will also be allowed entry and will be subjected to mandatory thermal scanning or temperature check.

Only transport vehicles provided by local government units to frontliners and critical services workers can operate, with observation of strict physical distancing measures.

Checkpoints are also established 24/7 in the borders of the province, in accordance with the guidelines of the Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield.

San Juan noted that despite the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine, residents have not been taking the order seriously.

"It is for the protection of the province. We want to ensure the safety of our people. Considerations have already been done since the implementation of the community quarantine but people do not take it seriously," he told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Weekend.

"Some residents of Rizal, lumalabas pa rin po sa kanilang tahanan. Ang naka-set sa guidelines, only those exempted ang pwedeng lumabas. 'Yung mga kailangan lang gawin sa labas tulad ng pagbili ng pagkain at basic commodities," San Juan added.

[Translation: Some residents of Rizal are still going out of their homes. As stated in the guidelines, only those who are exempted can go out. Those who need to run errands such as buying of food and basic commodities.]

San Juan did not indicate how long the lockdown will last.

Rizal province rallied next to Metro Manila with the highest number of COVID-19 with 98 cases as of Sunday morning.

It is part of Luzon where an enhanced community quarantine is in effect since March 16, 2020.

The Philippines has 3,094 total COVID-19 cases to date with 144 deaths and 57 recoveries.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/regional/2020/4/5/rizal-province-lockdown-covid-19.html