The local government of Mindoro Oriental, upon the approval of Regional Inter-Agency Task forces for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, would temporarily bar entry of locally stranded individuals or LSIS to the province starting Monday, September 21.
The ban on LSIs would be lifted on October 4, 2020.
Governor Humerlito Dolor said the moratorium would give time for the arrival of results of remaining tests from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City and other laboratories.
He added that the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital Laboratory said they only have few cartridges for the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab test, allotted for emergency cases.
The governor added all local government units, including villages, would use the 14-day moratorium on LSIs to disinfect their areas and quarantine and isolation facilities.
Dolor also ordered all City and Municipal Health Offices (C/MHOs) and City and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (C/MDRRMOs), together with the Philippine National Police (PNP), to complete comprehensive contact tracing. He also directed the agencies to file cases against those who are hiding information regarding those knowing those that had close contact with a Covid-19 patient.
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Mindoro Oriental will not accept LSIs for 14 days
“I am ordering the PNP, in coordination with village officials, to put up checkpoints and watch over all the villages, sitio (village enclaves) and streets that have two or more active Covid-19 cases,” the governor said in a statement.
Dolor also asked the Provincial Health Office, C/MHOs, and C/MDRRMOs to implement strict quarantine in areas with first- and second-degree contact with all individuals who underwent swab testing and are waiting for results.
The governor also requested the Department of Health for additional RT-PCR cartridges, so Mindoro Oriental government could finish testing all those who had contact with COVID-positive individuals.
Meanwhile, Governor Eduardo Gadian confirmed in a social media post that 21 more employees of the San Jose municipality tested positive for COVID-19.
All of those who got infected with the coronavirus was placed under quarantine and strict monitoring.