Calbayog City police to apprehend PUIs, PUMs who resist going on quarantine

SAMAR, Philippines – The Calbayog City government ordered the police here to apprehend those who refuse to go on 14-day quarantines even though they have been identified as Persons Under Monitoring (PUM) and Persons Under Investigation (PUI).

PUMs and PUIs resisting the quarantine will be detained in an isolated facility here under strict medical attention, said the orders.

Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino said the stringent orders were part of the measures to contain the spread of the dreaded novel coronavirus.

He said the COVID-19 outbreak was a worrying situation that required drastic but necessary measures in order to stop the transmission of the virus. COVID-19 is the sickness caused by the new coronavirus.

The City Health Office confirmed that there were people in the city who are now considered as PUMs and PUIs because of the increase in travellers here following  the lockdown in Manila on Monday, March 16.

Among the recommendations by the city’s Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 now being implemented are:

• Any person arriving in the city, whether a resident or non resident should undergo home quarantine;
• A curfew is now imposed from 6 pm to 6 am for minors, and 9 pm to 5 am for adults. Adults and parents, or guardian of children caught violating the curfew will be required to render 2 hours of community work as sanction;
• Motorboats from Masbate and Cebu are prohibited to dock in Calbayog, except those transporting food products and other basic goods;
• All internet café, clubs and beerhouses, swimming pools open to the public, and cock fighting arena are now temporarily closed;
• All business establishments, like grocery stores, pharmacy, hotels are required to provide their personnel with appropriate personal protective equipment;
• Graduations are cancelled. Classes all levels both public and private are suspended since March 16;
• Events and social gatherings and any religious celebration are being discouraged; 
• People are encouraged to practice social distancing and the city government of Calbayog urged the people to stay at home;
• All buses passing through Calbayog City will not be allowed to enter the city proper. Instead, these will be re-routed to take the diversion road.

Checkpoints are now up in barangays Caglanipao Sur, Tarabucan, Carayman and the city’s diversion road. The checkpoints are manned by composite teams of the PNP, City Health Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Disaster Risk Reduction Municipal Office. – Rappler.com