DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, July 12 (PIA) -- Dumaguete health marshals have apprehended several violators for not wearing face maks and for drinking liquor despite the prohibitions under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).

The violators were brought to the City Police Station for proper disposition, said City Executive Assistant for Security Concerns, retired Gen. Rey Lyndon Lawas.

With the intensified health patrols in business establishments in urban areas and along barangay roads, the City Health Office has reported that COVID-19 cases have been slowly decreasing.

As of July 11, the city logged 25 COVID-19 recoveries, six new cases, and one death based on the latest swab test results.

Meanwhile, 124 persons under monitoring completed on July 12 their 14-day quarantine without showing COVID-19 symptoms and have been cleared to return to their families.

Currently, the city has 178 active COVID-19 cases, 2,444 recoveries, and 68 deaths from Jan. 30, 2020 to July 11, 2021.

The conduct of daily patrols led by Lawas aims to strictly enforce the basic health protocols requiring all residents to wear face masks, observe physical or social distancing, and ban mass gathering.

Food establishments are warned that dining-in is prohibited as only take-out or delivery is allowed to prevent gatherings and reduce close physical contact. 

Authorities also reminded the public that curfew is between 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. of the following day. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from CPIO)