The local government has imposed a 24-hour liquor ban amid the declaration of the enhanced community quarantine to suppress the spread of COVID-19 in the city.
Mayor Sara Duterte signed Executive Order No. 23-A providing guidelines for an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the city.
The new EO supplements and amends the guidelines previously stated guidelines on Executive Order No. 20 issued last April 2, declaring the city under ECQ.
Based on the EO No. 23-A, no liquor and any other alcoholic or intoxicating drinks shall be sold, served, or consumed in public 24 hours of the day during the state of public emergency. The ban takes effect starting 6 p.m. of April 7. The city government previously issued an order of indefinite liquor ban in the city during community quarantine from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Curfew hours will now start from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., which amends the previously issued curfew hour from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
“Within the curfew hours, people cannot go out of their houses, except in cases of emergencies or if going to work in exempted sectors/frontline offices,” the EO read. The curfew also begins at 6 p.m. on April 7.
Exempted workers from the curfew are those employed in government offices related to security, health, social services, sanitation, and disaster, 24-hour groceries/convenience stores, wet markets/palengkes, food commissaries, food processing or food manufacturing, food delivery services, hospitals, medical laboratories, pharmacies, drugstores, other health services personnel, doctor’s and dentist’s clinics, gas stations, funeral parlors, and mass media outlets.
Meanwhile, the food and medicine (FM) pass will also take its effect 6 p.m. of April 7 which can only be used from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The EO states that FM pass shall only be used to buy food, medicines or go to the hospital. Two individuals can be named on the pass but only one named person indicated in the pass can use it at any given time.
The EO also reiterated that minors, senior citizen, pregnant women, sick, and immunocompromised individuals, “can go out of the residence or dwelling except to go to the hospital, medical, or allied medical insititutions.”
“Those who live alone may get an FM pass or whenever possible and if appropriate, ask a neighbor or a friend to help them buy food and medicines,” it said, noting that employers must assign their senior citizens to work from home, whenever possible.
