By RUFFIE CRUZ | San Marcelino, Zambales

The Zambales Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Covid-19 has placed the entire province under total lockdown on Saturday, March 28, after three confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection were reported in two towns and one city.

According to PNP Provincial Director PCol. Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr., who also heads the Zambales IATF Operations Group, the task force will deny entry to non-residents and restrict the passage of persons at checkpoints in the province, except for essential personnel.

“Residents working in nearby cities and provinces, including Olongapo, are considered authorized persons,” Peñones told Headline Zambales.

“They just have to present their IDs and certificates of employment,” he added.

Guidelines on the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) restricted land, air and sea travel and suspended mass public transportation facilities, but allowed unhampered travel to frontline workers like police and military personnel and medical workers, as well as those involved in food production.

The Zambales IATF headed by Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. implemented the lockdown following the confirmation of the third patient to test positive of Covid-19.

Zambales Provincial Health Office (PHO) chief Dr. Noel Bueno identified the first two positive cases of Covid-19 as residents of San Antonio and Cabangan, respectively. Olongapo City Mayor Atty. Rolen Paulino, Jr. then confirmed the third case Saturday noon.

“This lockdown lasts until further notice,” Peñones clarified.

The latest Covid-19 case, a resident of Olongapo, is a 75-year-old male PUI (person under investigation) with history of travel in Manila. The patient is “currently in good condition” at the ACE Medical Center (Baypointe Hospital) inside Subic Freeport, Paulino said.

The first Covid-19 case was announced by Bueno on March 26—a 73-year-old retired U.S. Navy with travel history from Cavite to Manila. He was first placed under strict home quarantine, but was eventually transferred to a healthcare facility for isolation.

The following day, Bueno announced the second case—a 70-year-old female ‘balikbayan’ from the U.S., who was admitted at Baypointe Hospital. She has been scheduled for repeat testing on April 5.

Olongapo was also placed under an “extreme enhanced community quarantine” (EECQ) since Thursday, March 26.

Under EECQ, curfew hours have been lengthened to 11 hours from the previous nine, or from 8PM-5AM to the current 6PM-5AM.