Bohol gov imposes 5-day quarantine, cites limited hospital capacity

Bohol Governor Arthur Yap declared a community quarantine for the province from March 16 to 20 as a preparatory measure and a 'dry run' for a potential COVID-19 outbreak.

During this period, Bohol's borders will be closed to visitors and travelers to allow local officials to organize response teams and assess readiness.

Governor Yap designated Sunday, March 15 as a provincial day of prayer for Boholanos for God's protection and blessings.

The quarantine aims to aggressively inform Boholanos on how to protect themselves from the pandemic and prepare the province in the event of local transmission.

Governor Yap expressed concern over the province's readiness, noting that hospitals have a limited isolation bed capacity of 37, which he believes will not be able to cope with the potential influx of patients.

As of Friday, Bohol had no confirmed COVID-19 cases but was monitoring two persons under investigation (PUIs).