BAGUIO CITY – The city government has ordered a liquor ban starting this weekend as part of continuing efforts to curb the surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid1-19) cases.
In a post on the city’s official social media page on Thursday, Aileen Refuerzo, Public Information Office chief, said this is among quarantine restrictions ordered by Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
From Sept. 11 to 19, a total ban on the sale and serving of liquor and other alcoholic beverages will be in effect while indoor dine-in services are allowed to operate at 30 percent capacity.
Meanwhile, worship services are allowed at 20 percent seating capacity from Sept. 11 to 26.
“Based on this week’s data as supplied by the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU), our seven-day average for cases per day is now 165 and we expect this to further increase in the next two weeks,” the post said.
Based on the consolidated Department of Health (DOH) Covid-19 daily tracker from Sept. 2 to 8, the city recorded 1,238 cases in seven days with the highest single-day record of 231 cases on Wednesday.
Refuerzo also said 115 out of 128 villages have recorded new infections in the last 14 days.
She said the new restrictions were reached in consultation with the affected sectors during the mayor’s meeting on Sept. 8 with the local Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), the Baguio Tourism Council (BTC), Department of Tourism (DOT)-Cordillera, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) and representatives of the affected sectors.
Magalong has earlier ordered a ban on entry of non-essential travelers in the city and required authorized persons outside residence (APORs) to present official travel documents upon entry to the city and show a complete vaccination document in lieu of a negative Covid-19 test result.
In the absence of a vaccination certificate or card, the APOR must have a negative test result obtained not more than 72 hours before travel to the city. **Liza Agoot, PNA