Gov to mayors, NGAs: suspend 

activities that gather people 

CORTES, Bohol, Dec 5 (PIA) – In the most recent twist of events following Bohol’s wrestling with the invisible virus that refused to give its horns, Capitol scrambles to direct national government agencies and government corporations to temporarily suspend their programs, projects and activities that tend to ask people to gather. 

The temporary suspension directive however does apply to programs, projects and activities involving frontline medical, emergency and security services, but the governor enjoins everyone involved to strictly observe minimum health standards. 

These include temperature checking, contact tracing control measures, regular disinfection of often touched items and surfaces, the practice of washing of hands using soap and water or alcohol-based disinfectant, wearing of face masks and shields and social distancing. 

Through Memorandum No 336 series of 2020, Capitol through Governor Arthur Yap ‘directs’ city, municipal mayors and national government agencies and government owned and controlled corporations stationed in Bohol to temporarily suspend national and local government programs, projects and activities that would require asking people to congregate. 

This too came a week after Bohol‘s confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID) surged 500 times and even more alarming local transmission traced to 40 percent of the cases spread throughout Tagbilaran City and the rest of the 31 towns in Bohol. 

In a matter of seven days, the Province of Bohol registered a 500 percent increase in COVID-19 positive cases, from 28 cases last November 25 to 154 cases December 1, the memorandum premised. 

What complicates the problem was that 40% of the cases recorded were traced to local transmission and a good remaining number continuing to rise until there is a temporary stoppage in allowing the acceptance of returning Boholanos and entering authorized persons bringing in the dreaded virus. 

The governor claimed that members of the Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force Medical and Health Cluster observed that people have relaxed in the observance of the minimum health standards as what they observed in major thoroughfares and areas of congregation of people. 

What is even worse is that task force cluster members note that many of these congregating people do not anymore wear face masks. 

“Where the partial reopening of restaurants, cockpits and the reopening of tourism is giving people false sense of security that everything has returned to normal, there is a need to implement ways to prevent the spread of the virus,” the memorandum states. 

On this, the governor, using the authority entrusted by the local government code and in line with President Rodrigo DUterte’s call to all local government units to render full assistance and cooperation and mobilize necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent and appropriate response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID threat, directs the concerned LGU heads and national government agencies to suspend all national and local programs and activities that will require people to congregate in groups. 

The memorandum also directs local chief executives to ensure that the memorandum gets cascaded to all barangay levels in their respective areas of jurisdiction. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

EXCEPT RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS. The new memorandum which directs the temporary suspension of activities that tend to gather people does not include private gatherings, but only applies to government activities where people would congregate. (rahc/PIA7/Bohol)

NOT AMONG THE PROHIBITIONS. Government programs, projects, and activities that are related to medical and health frontline services and security operations are exempted from the ban on mass gathering even as these are subject again to minimum health and safety protocols. (PIA Bohol)