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'COVID-free' Ilocos Norte placed under community quarantine

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<p>MANILA <strong>(2nd UPDATE) </strong>- The province of Ilocos Norte, which has yet to record a case of COVID-19, has been placed under community quarantine to prevent the virus spread, its governor said Sunday.</p><p>&quot;Ilocos Norte remains COVID-free but in all likelihood, COVID is already here in our province. To be clear we do not have any confirmed cases but I believe we have to act as if we do have a confirmed COVID case here in Ilocos Norte,&quot; Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc said in a Facebook video.</p><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MatthewMarcosManotoc/videos/796089064226023" data-width="auto"> </div><p>Under Manotoc&#x27;s executive order 60-20 dated Saturday, local governments shall abide by the directions of the Departments of Health and Interior and Local Government in imposing &quot;general community quarantine in their respective territorial jurisdictions.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We have instructed the PNP (Philippine National Police) together with health personnel, to set up COVID-19 checkpoints to monitor individuals coming into the province in Badoc, Nueva Era and Pagudpud,&quot; Manotoc said.</p><p>&quot;We will deny entry to all individuals entering Ilocos Norte with symptoms of COVID-19 unless they are residents of the province.&quot;</p><p>Officials will start collecting health information forms and will be &quot;aggressive in recording vital information of all entrants to Ilocos Norte,&quot; Manotoc said.</p><p>Travelers from areas with COVID-19 cases are urged to undergo a 14-day quarantine, while residents of the province are encouraged to stay home, he added.</p><p>Those who need to travel must practice social distancing or keep a distance of 1 meter from others, according to the governor.</p><p>Classes in the province remain &quot;indefinitely suspended,&quot; while government offices businesses, organizations and non-essential entities are “instructed to stop operations or advise their personnel to remain and work from home.”</p><p>“Salaries and other employee benefits shall not be decreased when working from home,” the EO read.</p><p>The EO also prohibits hoarding, reselling, price spikes, public consumption of alcoholic beverages, and sharing misinformation.</p><div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MatthewMarcosManotoc/posts/2255781534729069" data-width="auto"> </div><p>Aside from the province, Cotabato City, another area free of the virus, will also be placed on quarantine beginning Monday.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/20/covid-19-free-cotabato-city-to-impose-lockdown-on-march-16-mayor">&#x27;COVID-19 free&#x27; Cotabato City to impose lockdown on March 16: mayor</a></li></ul><p>President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed Metro Manila under a month-long community quarantine as COVID-19 cases in the capital region continue to rise.</p><p>Other areas with at least 2 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in different localities are also advised to be placed on quarantine to avoid spreading the disease to other parts of the country.</p><p>The Philippines is currently under a state of public health emergency, with state agencies enforcing stricter measures to contain the disease that has so far infected 111 individuals, of whom 8 died.</p><p>Globally, nearly 6,000 COVID-19 patients have died, while almost 150,000 others tested positive.</p>

<p>The province of Ilocos Norte, which has yet to record a case of COVID-19, has been placed under community quarantine to prevent the virus spread, its governor said Sunday.</p>

The province of Ilocos Norte, which has yet to record a case of COVID-19, has been placed under community quarantine to prevent the virus spread, its governor said Sunday.