LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal government warned erring owners of business establishments of closure if they continue to violate the prevailing community quarantine regulations crafted to contain the rapid spread of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the municipality.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda reported there are verified reports on rampant violations committed by restaurant owners in the locality found to have been serving intoxicating drinks to their customers in violation of the liquor ban.
Further, he added that the said establishments had also been violating the existing curfew because they had been allegedly operating up to the wee hours of the morning.
Initially, the mayor issued a closure order to one of the food establishments after it was found to have been serving liquor to its customers where one of them contracted the deadly virus, thus, the subject of ongoing contact tracing for those who had been drinking in the said establishment.
Mayor Salda pointed out that the local government will not hesitate to implement pertinent provisions of existing laws, rules and regulations governing the implementation of community quarantine to help in containing the spread of the virus and avert future surges in COVID cases in the municipality.
He ordered barangay officials, personnel of the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station and volunteers to continue in the aggressive inspection of establishments in the municipality to ascertain their compliance to existing laws, rules and regulations and to compel them to comply to these as the local government cannot afford to be complacent during these trying times as another surge in the number of COVID cases will definitely compromise the existing local health care system and stress the already tired frontliners.
The local chief executive called on establishment owners to strictly comply with community quarantine guidelines to avoid infection in their establishments that might trigger future surges in COVID cases.
According to him, there will be no letup in the implementation of the community quarantine rules and regulations as this is still the best way to prevent the spread of the deadly virus while awaiting the arrival of more vaccines.
At this point, the mayor emphasized that the cooperation of the people, especially in complying with the basic health and safety protocols, remains the best available remedy to avoid the surges in cases like what happened in the municipality and the province several months ago which should not be repeated as it will be detrimental to the local health care system and even the frontliners.
He appealed to residents to avoid the conduct of unauthorized mass gatherings in their respective barangays to help in preventing the further increase in COVID cases in the municipality. By HENT