Albay seals its borders indefinitely over COVID-19

Legazpi City Mar 19 -  Albay officials have decided to go into full lockdown preventing the entry of any individual outside of the province Wednesday March 18.

In a press briefing Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara said that the sealing of all borders is part of the implementation  of a province wide concerted efforts of the provincial government, League of Municipalities and League of Cities to contain the COVID-19 infection.

Under the Executive Order No 09 series of 2020 issued by Bichara, the entry of persons to the Province of Albay, particularly the Albay-Camarines Sur border, Tiwi-Sangay Coastal Raod) border and Albay -Sorsogon border, including other possible entry points-by land, air and sea shall be restricted.

However, persons carrying and/or transporting basic and essential goods such as food, medicine, water, agricultural products and implements such as fertilizers, feeds, inputs and the like ; power/telecommunication equipment and supplies and the like are exempted. The governor clarified that unloading of delivery must be done in a span of 12-hours otherwise, the driver and the helpers will undergo the 14-day quarantine if they defied the order.

Bichara added that those exiting the province will be allowed anytime but they canot come back for the next 14 days.

Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal – chair of the Regional Development Council said that the decision is to ensure that no additional possible carrier of virus will enter the province. If Albay will be cleared of PUIs and no additional patients get admitted in hospitals, normal life for Albayanos will get back soon upon permission of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. But the closure of borders will stay. (NMmdl)