CEBU, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has denied the appeal of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu to reconsider its decision placing the three cities under a modified enhanced community quarantine until August 15.
“Tayo po ay nag nagde-determine ng ating quarantine classification base po sa parameters na ginagamit ng IATF and this is the escalation of the health care utilization at de-escalation in the ADAR and two-week growth rate,” said DOH undersecretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire in a briefing yesterday.
In the same briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace has received complaints from areas declared to be under MECQ.
“May mga reaction sa mga lugar na napasailalim ng MECQ tulad ng Apayao, Laguna, at Aklan. At meron ding tayong nairirinig na nagrereklamo din tulad ng Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu at Mandaue,” said Roque.
Vergeire said with the continuing rise in cases in different areas in the country, they are now lowering their threshold in determining the classification due to the Delta variant.
“Ngayon po na mayroon tayong tinitingnan na pagtaas ng mga kaso sa iba't ibang lugar dahil po sa Delta variant...binabaan po natin ang thresholds natin,” said Vergeire, adding that community transmission with regard to this variant is still being checked.
Vergeire said under the previous rules, a place had to be classified as high risk first before it will be placed under enhanced community quarantine. Now a place can be put under ECQ from being categorized as moderate risk.
“Dati kinakailangan magha-high risk muna ang isang lugar para mapasailaim sa isang enhanced community quarantine. Ngayon po nandun pa tayo sa moderate risk at nakikita natin ang pagsipa sa mga nasasabing lugar. Atin na pong binibigyan ng pre-emptive na restrictions para hindi na po further kumalat ang virus or Delta variant,” said Vergeire.
Unlike that of the three cities , Cebu province’s appeal was earlier granted with the nod of the Department of Interior and Local Government.
“Specifically, for Cebu Province, nag-request po sila. Our process would entail that when the committee already recommends to the IATF for a specific classification of an area, the local government has that right to appeal to IATF if they think, based on their experience on the ground, iba po ang sa kanilang pananaw,” said Vergeire.
Cebu province is now relegated to general community quarantine (GCQ), instead of MECQ.
“Pinag-usapan po ito with DILG and it was parang agreed on that Cebu province will be on GCQ with heightened restrictions, pero yun pong mga lugar na matatas ang kaso within the province will be placed MECQ,” said Vergeire.
As of the last data from the Philippine Genomic Center, 19 cases of Delta variant were confirmed in Lapu-Lapu City, six in Cebu City, three in Mandaue, and two each from Cordova and Samboan. — JMD (FREEMAN)