3 Ilocos towns under MECQ

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines — Three more towns in Ilocos Sur were placed under modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ from June 5 to June 19.

Gov. Ryan Luis Singson issued an order raising the quarantine status of Burgos, Narvacan and Sto. Domingo from modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) to MECQ.

Singson said that despite the interventions and measures implemented by the provincial government, the threat of COVID remains high and alarming as the province posted 2,170 confirmed cases, 610 of which are active.

The town of Burgos recorded 14 cases, Narvacan had 36 and Sto. Domingo had 24 as of last Friday.

In issuing the order, Singson cited the increase in positive cases and full isolation facilities in the said municipalities.

Other areas in the province that are under MECQ are Candon City (until June 12), San Vicente and Sta. Maria (both until June 13), Cabugao (until June 16) and Vigan City (until June 19).

The rest of Ilocos Sur is under MGCQ until June 30.

As this developed, the province of Kalinga is now under low epidemic risk level, according to provincial health officials.

Data from the provincial health office showed that among the towns in Kalinga, only Rizal remains under MECQ.

Tabuk, the province’s capital city, is under MGCQ, while the towns of Tinglayan and Pinukpuk are under minimal risk.

Kalinga is also low-risk in terms of its hospital bed capacity, from 28 percent to 24 percent based on May 30-June 5 data.

Meanwhile, a police officer assigned in Cagayan de Oro City has died days after testing positive for COVID.

The 49-year-old officer died on Sunday after manifesting COVID symptoms on May 30. He was intubated in a hospital due to acquired pneumonia.

On May 31, he tested positive for COVID.  He was the 69th COVID fatality in the police force.  – Artemio Dumlao, Neil Jayson Servallos, John Unson