2-week MECQ for 11 LGUs in Cebu Province

CEBU, Philippines —  At least 11 local government units in Cebu Province with the most number of active COVID-19 cases will be placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) for two weeks starting Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

The 11 are Samboan, Sibonga, Argao, Cordova, Oslob, Liloan, Minglanilla, Consolacion, Talisay City, Naga City and Carcar city.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the move is a preemptive measure to slow down the transmission of coronavirus in these areas.

Garcia's MECQ order is based on the IATF’s Resolution No. 29 issued on April 27, 2020 that authorized the governors to declare the quarantine classification of a local government unit under their jurisdiction.  Garcia's MECQ order are with some additions, including requiring all air-conditioned public utility vehicles that cannot fully open their windows to install air purifiers with heap filter and requiring employees of establishments allowed to open during MECQ to wear personal air purifiers at all times, among others.

Rules

Under the MECQ status with heightened restriction, establishments prohibited to operate are entertainment venues with live performers; recreational venues; amusement parks or theme parks; outdoor sports courts and venues for contact sports, indoor courts, indoor and outdoor tourist attraction, venues for meetings, incentives, conference and exhibitions; personal care services; and indoor dine services of food preparation establishments.

All public utility vehicles are allowed to operate under these areas provided that guidelines under EO No.35-B are observed.

Minors below 15 years old and senior citizen above 65 years old are not allowed to go out from their homes, including those with immunodefiency, comorbidity or those who have other health risks, and those who are pregnant – except for essential purpose.

Curfew of these towns and cities will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day.

No gatherings outside the residences are allowed. Religious gatherings are allowed up to 10 percent of the venue capacity.

Gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurment, and funerals for those who died of causes other tan COVID-19 are allowed but shall be limited to immediate family members.

Hotels and accommodation establishment are allowed for guests or visitors with legitimate purpose but only those with accreditation from the DOT and certificate of compliance and Safety seal certification.

“In addition, guest, and clients shall only be accepted if they are able to present negative RT-PCR test result taken within the last 72 hours or negative anti-gen test result valid for 48 hours.

The Province will set up a rapid antigen test center at the Capitol for this purpose.

All persons entering Cebu Province through any of its ports of entry in areas under MECQ and through the port of San Fernando are also required to present a negative RT-PCR test or negative antigen test result.

Some mayors of the 11 LGUs announced the changes yesterday, including Talisay Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas.

“Talisay City is one of the 11 LGUs under the province that will be placed under MECQ with heightened restrictions. We will adopt MECQ protocols based on IATF guidelines and Gov Gwens Executive order” Gullas said in his post yesterday.

“I will also include a list and a summary of businesses allowed to open under MECQ and their respective capacities based on IATF guidelines” he added.

By the end of July 2021, seeing the trend of rising cases in Cebu, the national IATF has recommended that all LGUs in Cebu Island be placed under MECQ. Cebu Province appealed the recommendation and the IATF granted the same, and placed the province under MGCQ but with heightened restrictions.

Cebu Province now has the most number of active cases in Central Visayas based on DOH-7 data. As of August 9, 2021, it has 4,408 active cases.

High Risk

In an interview with The Freeman on Tuesday, August 10, DOH-7 chief pathologist, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, said Cebu can now be considered a high risk area when it comes to COVID-19.

“Considering the daily new cases, active cases and the CCUR that is high – yes, for the entire one Cebu. But I am confident also that with the implementation of additional drastic measures, including people awareness and cooperation, we might be able to rise above this surge we are having now,” Loreche said.

She said that as early as the beginning of July, she has already recommended a ban on liquor, mass gatherings, and even heightened curfew but these were not followed.

“We were a bit late in the implementation of that. By the time it was implemented, there were seeing a very huge rise in our cases,” she said.

“We’ve been in MGCQ for 11 months… people were now more complacent and relaxed, especially those who are vaccinated, they tended to forget, akala nila immortal na sila kasi nabakunahan na sila. They tended to do away with the public health standards, they tended to do partying, drinking,” she added.

“Maybe we were confident na wala nang bumabalik na may Delta variant, although I would say that as early as June, I was already looking and reviewing at the value of viral load of the cases that we were having. Part of what I have brought to the table was already that we were faced by some form of a variant that is highly transmissible,” Loreche said.

She said the Delta variant of COVID-19 found in cases in Cebu “might be a factor in the surge of cases.”

One island approach

For Loreche, the best way to approach the situation is to have a unified set of protocols, considering that LGUs in Cebu practically belong to one island with the exception of Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova that are in Mactan Island.

“Pag umakyat yung kaso ng probinsya, definitely, pati yung ating highly urbanized cities, aakyat din. They cannot be a removed one from the other. There is no way. Kahit maglagay ka pa ng border control diyan… kasi ang mga tao dito, iisa lang… Uuwi sa ganitong lugar, magtatrabaho at magbibiyahe sa kabila,” Loreche explained.

Delta

Loreche said that as long as cases continue to rise, there will always be variants of concern like the Delta variant. Variants are a result of a virus’ mutation in order to survive.

“Going back yung palaisipan natin kung bakit naging local transmission siya… Tignan natin, hindi sa Central Visayas particularly sa Cebu yung ating one island here ang naunang nagkaroon ng Delta Variant. They came in towards nitong mga July na,” she said.

From April to June, there were already reports of local transmission of the Delta variant in other parts of the country.

As far as the 34 cases with the Delta variant in Cebu, Loreche said contact tracing and investigation did not indicate history of travel or history of interaction with a traveler who tested positive for a Delta variant.

“Unless na may nakalusot doon sa unang nag negative and then only to find out na meron talaga silang Delta variant so that can be a likelihood to consider,” Loreche said.

Medical tents

Meanwhile, the Philippine Red Cross has ordered a team from PRC Cebu Chapter to put up medical tents in areas most affected by the resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

PRC Cebu Chapter Administrator, Atty. Vera De Jesus, said they have put up at least six tents. Each tent measures 72 square meters with an eight to ten bed capacity and is equipped with amenities that can cater to patients.

Target recipients of tents are big hospitals like the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, Talisay District Hospital, Cebu City Medical Center, Mandaue District Hospital, and Eversly Child Sanitarium Hospital in Mandaue City.

PRC will also establish a fully equipped Emergency Field Hospital (EFH) in Cebu with manpower and supplies from Cebu LGUs.

In June 2020, the PRC put in place a health support program by deploying Medical Tents to serve as triages and isolation areas in Cebu to respond to the surge of cases. At that time, Cebu was experiencing a second wave of infections and was tagged as epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.

“No matter what happens, the Red Cross will continue to extend assistance to help especially the most vulnerable in this time of the pandemic,” said the PRC Chairman and Senator Richard Gordon. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon and Jomelou Menorias, CNU Intern, JMO (FREEMAN)