Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said Wednesday, June 2, that they have requested the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force to extend the suspension of travel from Negros to Iloilo and vice versa until June 15 .
Treñas said they are waiting for the RIATF response but in the meantime measures are being put in place to temporarily prevent Negros Occidental travelers from entering Iloilo city and province to curb the COVID-19 surge in their areas.
Iloilo City that remains under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) is issuing quarantine passes that will limit people from leaving their residences, he said.
“All travelers without quarantine passes will be detained by authorities and requested to return to where they came from,” he said.
Defensor said he will also bar non-essential travel from Negros Occidental into Iloilo province starting June 4.
Only Authorized Persons Outside of Residence, Overseas Filipino Workers and their returning residents will be allowed into Iloilo province, Defensor said.
The Department of Health has classified Iloilo City and Bacolod City as high risk areas for COVID-19.
If they allow sea travel to continue between Negros and Iloilo it will be “ping pong for COVID-19” with residents from both areas crisscrossing, Treñas said.
Treñas in his executive order extending MECQ in his city set a travel moratorium from Negros Occidental to Iloilo City, and vice versa, until June 15.
However, sea travel between Negros and Iloilo City will continue until the RIATF issues an order for it to halt, Capt. Ludovico Librilla, Coast Guard Station Negros Occidental commander, said.
Sea travel from all Negros Occidental ports resumed Wednesday with the lifting of Tropical Storm Dante’s Signal No. 1, he said.
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he has not asked for an extended moratorium on travel to Iloilo City.
However, whenever Iloilo City closes its borders Bacolod just reciprocates by closing its own, he added.*