Boracay COVID 19 Update: Island Placed in General Community Quarantine
In the latest Boracay COVID 19 Update, the municipality of Malay in Aklan, which exercises jurisdiction over the island of Boracay, started banning entry to tourists from March 19 by putting the town under the general community quarantine.
Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista signed an executive order, basically putting the island on lockdown, regulating the entry of products and materials in the municipality, and imposed a curfew. The quarantine will help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus disease.
Tourists, both local or foreign, shall be refused entrance into the municipality, including Boracay Island. The restriction of the entry of individuals, however, will exempt Malaynons, persons involved with the delivery of products and commodities. Additional exemptions include physicians working in Malay, national government representatives and employees, and returning officials or employees of the city and its barangays.
Bautista stated he’ll authorize the entry of persons, which doesn’t fall under the exemptions if it pertains to health, safety, security, and trade. The municipality quarantine will be effective, starting at 10 p.m. on Thursday. It will be valid until it’s raised by the acting mayor of the city, Frolibar Bautista, based on a local executive order.
Throughout the general public quarantine, the movement would be restricted to accessing basic essentials and work. Uniformed personnel and quarantine officers would man the island borders.
The Boracay COVID 19 Update also stated that the municipal government is also imposing a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Boat excursions to and from Boracay is going to be restricted between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. only.
The measures were adopted even as Boracay has to register its first case of COVID19. The new directives have been seen as an added blow to Boracay’s tourism sector that has seen a decrease since the outbreak of COVID19 due to virus concerns. Tourist arrivals in February for the island fell by 40 percent to 103, 834 from the 172, 695 listed in the same month in 2019, information from the Malay Municipal Tourism Authority showed. (PNA, ABS-CBN News and other reports)
For more news on Philippine Destinations click here. Or visit the official website of Malay Municipality.
