More lockdowns

(Part of an ongoing account started on March 13, 2020 of how the spread of COVID-19 in our country and our government’s response has affected our lives.)

I have family back in Cebu so I monitor what’s happening in the Queen City of the South.

This morning, I find that during the night, Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia signed Executive Order (EO) 5-N placing Cebu Province under a state of enhanced community quarantine “to allow more stringent measures to be implemented in order to prevent the further spread” of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Before this, the Provincial Government had been trying to avoid a lockdown for economic reasons even as it sought to impose strict control over passengers arriving at airports and seaports to protect the province from the threat of COVID-19.

More measures to restrict movement followed. A curfew, initially imposed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in all the towns and cities, was later expanded to 24 hours for all students as well as persons aged 65 years old and above.

Mall hours were shortened, cinemas closed, restaurants were restricted from accepting dine-in patrons, people hoarded goods and prices went up, but the threat remained at bay. As long as they observed social or physical distancing, people exempted from the curfew could still move around.

Photo taken from SunStar Cebu FB account

That has changed. Although there is only one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Province , particularly in Mandaue City, there are a total of nine "presumptive" positive cases in the province: seven in Cebu City and one each in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, according to the Department of Health.

A resolution from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) states that a province-wide quarantine is advised when there are at least two positive COVID-19 cases from different towns within the province.

The lockdown takes effect in Cebu City on 12 noon of March 28, Lapu-Lapu City on March 28, with the cities of Mandaue and Talisay and the rest of the province following on March 30.

I had hoped and prayed that COVID-19 would not affect any more of my family.  But all this time, I think we all knew it was bound to happen. Certainly, no one is surprised at the turn of events. 

Now, we all wait it out and do what we can to ensure that we and others stay safe during this crisis.

God help us all.

DoH update: As of 4 p.m. of March 26, the Philippines has reported 707 confirmed corona virus cases, including 28 recoveries and 45 deaths.