Isabela province was placed under general community quarantine from Monday to April 15 due to the increase in COVID-19 cases.
On Sunday, the province recorded 214 new COVID-19 cases, a record-high since Dec. 17, 2020, with the most recorded new cases being 128.
As a result, the total number of active cases or those who have not yet recovered from the disease in Isabela reached 1,082.
According to the provincial government, hospitals and isolation facilities have also been filled due to the influx of COVID-19 patients.
Prior to that, Isabela was in modified general community quarantine, the lax 4-level lockdown enforced by the government.
Apart from the GCQ, the province will also implement a “bubble” from March 29 to April 5, where only essential travel will be allowed in and out of the province.
Under the GCQ, people aged 18 and under and 65 and older, as well as pregnant women and those who have previously been ill, are not allowed to leave the house.
A person will only be allowed to leave the house if it is for essential needs such as going to work.
Mass gatherings and establishments such as cinemas, arcades, and museums are also prohibited.
The operation of restaurants is also allowed, but dine-in is not allowed.
There is also a curfew from 10 pm to 4 am and a liquor ban.
In total, there have been 7,423 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Isabela since the pandemic began.
Labor leader killed in Calamba shooting
A labor group leader was killed by unknown assailants in Calamba, Laguna on Sunday, weeks after the infamous “Bloody Sunday” that killed 9 activists in the Southern Tagalog region.
The victim was identified as Dandy Miguel, vice-chairperson of the Southern Tagalog Workers’ Unity-Kilusang Mayo Uno (Pamantik-KMU), who was shot by a riding-in-tandem.
According to police, the crime happened past 8 p.m. Miguel’s wife identified his body, which sustained 8 bullet wounds.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has strongly condemned the killings amid intensifying red-tagging or connecting leftist groups or individuals to communism.
Aside from being a member of the labor group, Miguel is also president of the United Workers’ Force at the Fuji Electric union.