Cebu City, Mandaue City reverted to ECQ as 5 provinces placed under MECQ
MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has placed two cities in Cebu under enhanced community quarantine and five Central Luzon (Region III) provinces under modified enhanced community quarantine.
RELATED: What is modified, enhanced, general quarantine? Here's how to tell the difference
Mandaue City in Cebu was initially set to be placed under general community quarantine while Cebu City would have extended its lockdown with modifications in protocols. Both are now under ECQ until May 31, according to the IATF's Resolution 37 dated Friday.
Meanwhile, the “transitioning high-risk” provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales along with the highly urbanized Angeles City — which would have shifted to GCQ today based on the task force’s Resolution 35 dated Monday — will instead see MECQ until the end of the month.
The National Capital Region along with Laguna province in Calabarzon (Region IV-A) will remain under MECQ.
RELATED: Metro Manila, Laguna, Cebu City under 'modified' ECQ until May 31
All other provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities will be placed under GCQ until May 31.
“After validation by the IATF Sub-TWG on Data Analytics, with updated case numbers and health systems capacity data, and in consideration of the appeals of the local government units...the final recommendations of the IATF Screening and Validation are approved,” read the resolution, which adjusted the quarantine protocols in the affected areas based on their latest risk level.
Under MECQ, some forms of private transportation will be allowed as long as they observe safety protocols. Shuttle services provided by the government to frontliners are the only allowed mode of public transportation.
Private transportation allowed under MECQ are company shuttles but only half of their capacity should be filled; personal vehicles for workers in permitted sectors and activities (two persons per row), bicycle (one person only), motorcycle (one person only), and E-Scooter (one person only).
In areas under GCQ, there would be limited movement to services and work within the so-called buffer zone and outside buffer zone. Operation of government offices and industries would have a maximum of 75% workforce.
Transporting services will also be limited to support government and private operations. Learning arrangements will also be flexible and would have to operate at limited capacities to cater to students.
As of Friday, the Philippines has 12,091 total COVID-19 cases (8,825 active).
Of which, Cebu City has 1,544 cases (1,505 active) and Mandaue City has 100 (95 active) according to the Department of Health’s live case tracker.
Metro Manila cities still collectively account for the majority of infections at 7,779 total cases (5,466 active). — with reports from Patricia Lourdes Viray and Alexis Romero
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