MECQ in Quirino until April 30

MANILA, Philippines — Quirino will remain under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until April 30.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) approved the extension of the stricter quarantine status in the province, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said yesterday.

Quirino was initially placed under MECQ from April 1 to 15.

The IATF said the extension of the MECQ is “without prejudice to a reclassification as may be warranted and the declaration of localized ECQ in critical areas.”

Aside from Quirino, Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan and Rizal remain under MECQ.

La Union mayor infected

Meanwhile, in La Union, Mayor Priscilla Martin of Pugo town tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday.

Martin said she was among the four new patients in the town, raising their active cases to 26. She said she had herself tested after she was exposed to a patient on Sunday.

The mayor said she is asymptomatic and would continue to discharge her duties while in isolation at her home.

Martin is the second mayor in northern Luzon who tested positive for the virus this week.

Mayor Frenzel Ayong of Mankayan, Benguet was found infected on Tuesday.

In Kalinga, the municipal building of Pinukpuk was locked down on Wednesday until Monday after six employees contracted the virus.

The Cauayan District Hospital in Isabela was indefinitely closed after nine health workers were infected.

The management of the hospital said it would accept only emergency cases.

UK variant

In Baguio City, nine more cases of the United Kingdom variant of COVID were reported by the Philippine Genome Center.

City health officer Rowena Galpo said all the patients have recovered.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said it is possible that more UK and other variant cases are in the city.

“Medyo delayed ang results, but it appears that we now have all the variants at the rate our infection is increasing,” Magalong, who is recovering from the disease, said.– Raymund Catidig, Eva Visperas, Artemio Dumlao