Cops propose gradual lifting

CEBU, Philippines —  The police in Region 7 believe that a gradual easing up of restrictions – with weekly assessment in between – will be best for Cebu City now that new quarantine classifications of local government units will be announced for the second half of July.

Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 Director Albert Ignatius Ferro said that based on assessment on the ground, it will be best if Cebu City is placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) first before going down to general community quarantine (GCQ) and even modified GCQ.

The city was reverted to ECQ from GCQ in the second week of June owing to the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. The classification was carried over to the first week of July.

As of July 13, based on data from the Department of Health (DOH), Cebu City has a total of 7,520 cases of which 3,338 are active. It registered 82 more cases on that day but also reported 32 recoveries. It recorded a total of 3,818 recoveries.

"Actually, I have to be honest, we have to do a gradual transition. What I am referring to is gradual transition – maybe modified ECQ, then after one week, GCQ, then after one MGCQ," Ferro said yesterday.

"It depends on how the requirement of the minimum health standards is being addressed by the different hospitals. Do they have the capability on increased number of COVID? Second, is the number of COVID cases in Cebu reduced to manageable level?" he added.

Ferro said he noted during the first transition to GCQ that, after two months of lockdown, people were too eager to go out and failed to observe standard health protocols strictly.

"Kato man gud ga-change ta to GCQ, daghan na ang wala ga-wear ug mask ug daghan ang wala naga-practice ng health standard," he said.

(The first time we moved to GCQ, many were no longer wearing masks and many did not practice health standards.)

He said a gradual easing of restriction would also allow the police to monitor implementation of guidelines in other highly-urbanized areas in the province like Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Talisay City. The three local government units were placed under GCQ since July 1.

Air Buses

Meanwhile, Ferro said PRO-7 will have added capability with two air buses from the PNP, which will be detailed in Cebu City.

Ferro used one yesterday for an aerial survey and found few vehicles plying the street from Danao City to Consolacion town, which means people in Cebu Province are observing quarantine guidelines.

"It will be an added capability of the law enforcement. We can see from the top what is happening in the areas of Central Visayas," Ferro said.  JMO (FREEMAN)