Bus that evaded Luzon lockdown quarantined in Davao de Oro farm
LOCKDOWN. Police authorities man a checkpoint in Barangay Manat in Nabunturan, Davao del Oro. Photo courtesy of PNP PRO 11
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Thirty-two of passengers aboard a trans-island bus from Manila, including a pregnant woman and a one-year old child, were blocked from entering Davao region.
The Philtranco bus left Manila on March 16 despite the Luzon-wide lockdown. The passengers were bound for Davao City.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said her initial decision was to send the bus back, but she reconsidered and put the passengers and crew under quarantine instead.
“They are actually in a farm near the entrance of Davao de Oro,” Duterte said.
“They are now in quarantine for 14 days,” she said. The passengers were not allowed to disembark from the bus. They will be provided meals and will be monitored for symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease.
“That's the win-win solution that we saw instead of asking them to turn around and go back to Metro Manila,” Duterte said.
Davao de Oro authorities intercepted the bus on Saturday evening, March 21, at a regional checkpoint in Monkayo town.
The entire Davao region, which includes Davao de Oro, had been under enhanced community quarantine since March 19. People can go out of the region, but no one is allowed to get in except if they are health workers or if they're delivering food, medicine, and emergency supplies.
Duterte said she was puzzled why the bus was allowed to leave Manila despite the lockdown. She renewed her appeal to bus companies to suspend operations in the region until the lockdown is lifted. – Rappler.com
