2 Ilocos Sur towns under MECQ

MANILA, Philippines — Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson has issued an executive order (EO) placing the municipalities of Sinait and Sta. Lucia under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from June 28 to July 12.

“The threat of COVID-19 in the province remains very high and alarming... There are 591 active cases with extensive contacts... and 63 came from Sinait and 30 from Sta. Lucia as of June 27,” the EO read.

It cited confirmation of local transmission, full isolation facilities, absence of a tertiary hospital and lack of health workers.

The provincial COVID-19 task force recommended the shift to MECQ from modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) to ensure the implementation of stricter health and safety protocols.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lucilo Bayron of Puerto Princesa in Palawan said they may no longer appeal the extension of MECQ in the city even if the number of COVID-19 cases is going down.

”Personally ako hindi na mag-a-appeal,” he said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.

Bayron said the number of active cases dropped to 514 yesterday from a peak of 1,007.

He said they now have vacant hospital beds, adding that the hotels they rented as quarantine facilities went down from 11 to seven.

In Zamboanga, city health officer Dulce Amor Miravite said active cases dropped to 566 from 2,400 in late May.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said they recommended the downgrading of the quarantine status from MECQ to GCQ until July 31.