ZAMBOANGA CITY – The municipality of Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi has imposed a one-month lockdown to protect the residents against possible infection by the new strain of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Turtle Islands Mayor Mohammad Faizal Jamalul on weekend said they arrived at the decision to impose the lockdown following reports about the detection of the new strain of Covid-19 in Sabah, Malaysia, which, according to health authorities is more dangerous.
Jamalul said they closed the border of the town effective December 29 and since then, inbound and outbound vessels are not allowed.
Residents of Turtle Islands, known to locals as Taganak Island, travels from and to Sabah via Sandakan and Lahad Datu to buy foodstuffs and other supplies. Some of them are employed in the two areas.
The Municipality of Turtle Islands is located within the Sulu Sea at the south-western tip of the country, at the edge of the international treaty limits separating the Philippines and Malaysia.
Jamalul said that he requested Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr., Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, in a meeting to deploy navy ships to closely watch the border.
Commodore Toribio Adaci, Jr., commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), said his command has four vessels in Tawi-Tawi, which were deployed to patrol the maritime areas from Taganak Island down to Sibutu Island, which is the ingress points of incoming vessels from Malaysia.
Adaci said that another patrol vessel departed this city to augment the four ships stationed in the province of Tawi-Tawi.
Jamalul said those working in Sabah and are residents of Turtle Islands are required to undergo swab test if they wish to go home. Once found negative, they will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
“If found positive, then they should not go home,” Jamalul said citing it is to protect the community and their families.
The mayor is also worried since they only have a nurse in the municipality as the work contract of the town’s physician has already expired.
Meanwhile, he said that the residents have been advised to store food supplies good for a month before they imposed the lockdown, which is set to end January 29.
Turtle Islands is a 5th class municipality in the province of Tawi-Tawi with a population of 4,727 as of the 2015 census.
Jamalul has thanked Tawi-Tawi Gov. Yshmael Sali who provided them 1,000 sacks of 50 kilos each for food consumption during the lockdown.
“Malaking tulong na yun sa amin,” he added. (Newsline Philippines-Zamboanga City)
