Mayor Benjamin Magalong has extended the implementation of general community quarantine with heightened restrictions in Baguio City.
In Executive Order 121 s. 2021 issued on Sept. 30, Magalong said the Inter-Agency Task Force has ordered the continuance of GCQ with heightened restrictions.
With this, Magalong has ordered that the suspension of non-essential travel to the city, which was implemented from Sept. 24 to 30, will remain.
However, EO 121 has allowed the opening of businesses that were closed for one week, as long as they have a Safety Seal Certification and they follow the 30 percent maximum permitted capacity.
Among the industries that were allowed to resume operations are indoor gyms, fitness centers, and sports venues.
Indoor recreation venues were also allowed to reopen, such as game arcades, bowling alleys, and gaming and bingo outlets.
EO 121 also allowed museums, cultural centers, libraries, archives, and other indoor tourist and leisure attractions to reopen.
“Due to the imposition of heightened restrictions, several displaced workers from recreation and sports industries sought consideration for the resumption of operations. The city is inclined to allow since activities in these industries contribute to a person’s well-being,” the EO read, emphasizing the need for operators to abide by the minimum health protocols and limited operations.
Only authorized persons outside of residence can enter Baguio, subject to screening protocols and upon presentation of complete travel documents.
Leisure and non-essential travelers, regardless of the quarantine risk level classification of their places of origin, are still prohibited from coming to the city.
While the city government has been proactively in its Covid-19 response, it has been grappling with the surge in cases brought about by the Delta variant.
As of Sept. 30, Baguio recorded 24,575 cases of which 4,343 are active and 491 are deaths.
Out of the 920 bed capacity of the city’s isolation centers, 599 are occupied while 117 are unavailable as these are due for disinfection, leaving 204 beds available.
The city has administered 350,236 doses of which 155,112 individuals are fully inoculated while 195,124 received their first dose.
As of mid-September all five hospitals in the city announced they are at full capacity due to the surge in cases.
The Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center has set up areas outside its premises where the public can transact to limit the entry of people to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
The designated areas for queries/information/medical certificate concerns, Malasakit Center concerns, claiming of RT-PCR results, and drop-off for food and non-food items for patients and watchers have been set up at the hospital entrance.
Out-patient and face-to-face consultations at the BGHMC remain suspended. – Jane B. Cadalig
