ZAMBOANGA CITY - The city government of Zamboanga raised concerns over the increase in crowd and traffic during the first few days of the general community quarantine.

On Monday, some checkpoints in the city were overwhelmed by the number of motorists passing through quarantine inspection. The city transitioned from enhanced to GCQ on May 16.

The heavy traffic was also caused by the resumption of work for some people whose employers have been allowed to start operating.

Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabel Climaco-Salazar urged residents to be more cautious as confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 continue to increase, particularly inside the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center.

The mayor said that even though the virus is contained inside the facility, the community still needs to implement health protocols like physical distancing and wearing of face masks.

She said residents are still urged to stay at home and only go out to buy essential items like food and medicine.

A team is also being formed to monitor establishments to ensure that they implement and strictly follow health protocols.