IATF – EID meeting on April 23, 2020. President Rodrigo Duterte also addressed the nation as the country’s confirmed COVID-19 cases is inching closer to the 7,000 mark | Photo via PCOO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) must remain in Cebu and 28 other areas in the country, the national government recommended on Friday, April 24, 2020.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced Friday that the national government will be adopting the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IAFT-EID) to extend ECQ in provinces at ‘high risk’ of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic up to May 15.
“High-risk areas will be under ECQ until May 15, subject for further evaluation,” Roque said, quoting the findings from IATF.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has already decided to extend the city’s ECQ up to May 15. Meanwhile, Cebu province is implementing an indefinite ECQ.
Aside from Cebu, high-risk areas in the Visayas include Cebu City, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, and Capiz.
For Luzon, these are the National Capital Region, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal , and Quezon.
In Mindanao, the high-risk areas are Davao Del Norte, Davao City, and Davao de Oro.
Roque said provinces not included in the list of areas with extended ECQs can downgrade to general community quarantine, also dubbed as ‘the new normal,’ subjected to further review.
In Central Visayas, the national government included Negros Oriental, Bohol, and Siquijor in the provinces that can start ‘doing a new normal’.
Cebu island has a total of 361 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of April 23, bulk of which are recorded in Cebu City.
Negros Oriental has four while Bohol has one. However, both Negros Oriental and Bohol recently don’t have any active cases being monitored.
Siquijor is the only province in Central Visayas that remains free from any confirmed COVID-19 cases. /bmjo