The municipality of Valencia in Negros Oriental will be imposing a four-day lockdown next week in time for its annual fiesta celebration to stymie the spread of coronavirus disease 2019.
The lockdown will be from Oct. 11-14, as embodied in Executive Order No. 29, series of 2021, signed by Mayor Edgar Teves, and issued on Tuesday.
Valencia celebrates its fiesta on Oct. 11-12 each year in honor of its patron saint, the Our Lady of the Abandoned.
Mayor Teves said quarantine control points to be manned by the police, Bureau of Fire personnel, and other volunteers, will be set up in major ingress and egress areas to prevent the entry of non-residents on those days.
The traditional fiesta celebration of preparing food will be allowed but shall be exclusive to family members. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited, and a curfew is imposed from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following day.
Employees, business owners, workers, and other people with valid transactions in the town will, however, be allowed to enter during the lockdown.
The public is reminded to strictly follow the health and safety protocols and violators will be fined accordingly.
Meanwhile, records from the Valencia Rural Health Unit showed that as of Oct. 4, a total of 396 Covid-19 cases were reported in the town, broken down into 341 recoveries, 45 active cases, and 10 mortalities. (PNA)
