Midway Village, Toledo District, Mon. July 19, 2021– Two weeks have passed since clusters of COVID-19 cases were discovered in the Midway and Conejo villages, which prompted the government to place three southern villages — Barranco, Midway and Conejo — under a complete lockdown. The initial lockdown was scheduled to last only two weeks, but due to the emergence of even more cases in those areas, the Ministry of Health and Wellness deemed it necessary to extend the lockdown until the end of the month.

While the government has pledged to render assistance to those households affected by the lockdown through the distribution of food packages and a weekly stipend of $150 weekly, there have been reports that the food packages have been insufficient and the residents are unable to use the $150 stipend because the shops and the corn mill in the villages remain closed as a result of the lockdown.

The chairman of Midway village, Mr. Marcos Ico, has thus told local media that the village is begging the government to consider reopening the shops in the village, while enforcing strict protocols. This would allow residents to obtain necessary provisions, while they continue to follow the rules and regulations that are in place during the lockdown. Efforts were made to contact Mr. Ico for updates on the situation, but no response was received.