Ilocos Sur town reverts to strictest quarantine

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines — The municipality of Cabugao in Ilocos Sur has reverted to the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for two weeks starting yesterday.

Cabugao Mayor Edgardo Cobangbang Jr. approved Resolution 25 adopting Executive Order 45 issued by the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force Against COVID-19 on June 1 placing the town under ECQ.

“With the continued increase in positive cases... confirmation of local transmission... full occupancy of isolation facilities, absence of a level three hospital and depletion of health workers in the province, the COVID-19 task force of Ilocos Sur recommended for reclassification of the municipality of Cabugao from MECQ to ECQ in order to contain the virus,” the EO read.

Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson had earlier issued EO 42 that placed Cabugao under modified ECQ (MECQ) from May 26 to June 8.

Singson said 117 of the 464 active cases in Ilocos Sur on Wednesday are from Cabugao.

He said the threat of COVID-19 in the province remains “very high and alarming” despite interventions and implementation of measures.

Candon City is under MECQ until June 12, San Vicente and Sta. Maria until June 13 and Vigan City until tomorrow.

Vigan Mayor Juan Carlo Medina said the COVID-19 task force has recommended the extension of the MECQ in the city until June 19.

The rest of Ilocos Sur is under modified general community quarantine until June 30.

As of yesterday, Ilocos Sur has 500 active cases.

Negros mayor infected

Meanwhile, in Negros Occidental, Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo yesterday bared that she tested positive for COVID-19.

Yulo said all her staff are in isolation and set to undergo reverse transcription-poymerase chain reaction test.

She said the municipal hall would be closed until further notice.

“We will resume operations once our health officer has given us the clearance,” Yulo said.

In Abra, a resident of Bangued who recently returned home from Dubai was found infected with the Indian variant of COVID-19.

The number of patients who contracted the more contagious virus, including the United Kingdom and South African variants, in the Cordilleras is now 143. – Gilbert Bayoran, Artemio Dumlao