CABANATUAN CITY – Two confirmed cases of Covid-19 and the death of a person under investigation in Nueva Ecija pushed at least 23 towns and cities in the province to impose a lockdown Saturday.
Among these LGUs were Cuyapo, Zaragoza, Lupao, Guimba, Nampicuan, Sto. Domingo, San Jose City, Bongabon, Gapan City, Gen. Natividad, Carranglan, San Leonardo, Talugtug, Licab, Rizal,Talavera, Aliaga, Cabanatuan City, Peñaranda, Jaen, Cabiao, Laur, and Santa Rosa.
In her Executive Order 2020-007, Mayor Myca Elizabeth Vergara of this city ordered “placing Cabanatuan City on lockdown due to public health emergency.”
Under the EO, the city government shall issue a quarantine pass that can be used only for three specific purposes – to buy food ang essential supplies, to buy medicines, and to go to the hospital for treatment.
Barangays were tasked to implement checkpoints.
In a message, Vergara appealed for cooperation of residents as she vowed to deliver goods to each of the 90,000 households in the city.
She and her father, Vice Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara, share their respective salaries to augment fund for the food assistance, Vergara said.
Gov. Aurelio Umali said the two confirmed cases in the province were both asymptomatic and are likely to survive.
Patient 285 is a 43-year-old medical representative from Cabanatuan City while Patient 286 is a 45-year-old resident of San Isidro town.
Umali said authorities are now conducting back tracing on people who had contact with a 65–year-oldbalikbayan from Canada who went home for a vacationand died while waiting confirmation of her Covid test.
“Please stay at home, kung kayo po ay mananatili sa bahay, ay malaki na po naitutulong ninyo sa hindi paglaganap ng virus po sa ating lalawigan,” Umali said.
The provincial government readies separate food assistance to affected residents, he said.
