Another La Union town seeks MECQ shift

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, Philippines — Another town in La Union has sought to revert to modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Mayor Estafanie Ann Eriguel signed an executive order placing Agoo under MECQ starting yesterday until April 21.

Agoo logged more than 100 active cases yesterday, with 31 recorded in the past two days, most of them children.

Eriguel said movement of people is limited to accessing essential goods and services and by authorized persons outside residence.

On Wednesday, La Union Gov. Emmanuel Ortega sought to revert Aringay, Naguilian, Luna and Tubao to MECQ, also starting yesterday.

La Union is under modified general community quarantine.

Negative swab test

Meanwhile, a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) test result is now required from visitors to Tacloban under an executive order issued by Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

Romualdez said the swab test should be administered within 72 hours prior to travel.

He said the protocol is in line with a resolution issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Romualdez said travelers should also register in the Balik-Tacloban project platform through the city government’s website, www.baliktacloban.gov.ph, mobile application and hotlines 0920-9000-911 and (053) 888-0911.

In Davao City, RT-PCR tests are also required from close contacts of those who tested positive for COVID-19.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said those arriving in the city by plane should likewise present a negative swab test result.

Lockdown

In Zamboanga City, the San Ramon penal farm was placed on lockdown for one month after 35 jail personnel and inmates were infected.

Janette Escobal, barangay captain of Talisayan, said 16 jail personnel were brought to an isolation facility while the infected inmates were quarantined in the penal farm.

Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said she directed the jail warden to limit the movement of people, noting that there are civilian residents in the compound. – Raymund Catindig, Miriam Desacada, Edith Regalado, Roel Pareño