Digos City in Davao del Sur will be again placed under a stricter quarantine classification due to the "exponential" rise of COVID-19 cases in the area.

Based on Executive Order No. 24 signed by Mayor Josef Fortich Cagas, the city will revert to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from June 14 to June 27, 2021.

"Digos City recorded a total of 92 COVID-19 cases from May 7 to June 3, with an average of 13 daily cases. In order to mitigate and curtail the spread of COVID-19, preventive measures must be taken into place by escalating the quarantine level of Digos City from MGCQ to GCQ," the EO read.

Residents are mandated to stay at home, with only frontliners and essential workers exempted. Movement outside the home will be allowed only for purposes of accessing basic necessities and reporting to work. Face shields and face masks will remain required in all public places.

There will be strict social distancing, health and sanitation measures in malls, restaurants, pharmacies, banks, and all other establishments allowed to operate under GCQ.

All barangay personnel are also mandated to implement the said order.

Government offices shall have a skeleton workforce except those involved in security, health services, social welfare, sanitation, disaster, and other essential offices.

Curfew hours will be imposed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., while a liquor ban will be implemented from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

For transportation, only 50 percent of the total capacity is allowed for PUJ, maximum of 3 passengers for tricycle, and only 1 passenger excluding driver for motorcycle.

Violators will be punished under the Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

As of June 12, Digos City logged 1,274 COVID-19 cases, with 304 active cases.

- report from Hernel Tocmo