Lapu’s ECQ extended until May 18 or ‘until further notice’ – Chan

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan met with city and barangay officials on Friday to discuss the need to extend the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine. | Photo courtesy of the Lapu-Lapu City PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in Lapu-Lapu City will have to be extended until May 18 or “until further notice” because of the continued presence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the city.

Mayor Junard Chan announced the extension of the ECQ in a meeting which he called with city and barangay officials on Friday, April 24, 2020, said an advisory that was posted on the city’s official Facebook page.

In the same meeting, Chan also announced his decision to start mass testing for frontliners and suspected COVID-19 cases and the implementation of lockdown in areas with cases of the infection, the advisory said.

Read: Lapu-Lapu City plans to purchase more test kits to expand mass testing

To further discourage gambling while under ECQ, Chan wanted a P33, 000 bail bond imposed on individuals arrested for illegal cockfighting.

ECQ in Lapu-Lapu City started implementation on March 29 and was supposed to end on April 13, but Chan ordered for its extension until April 28 because of the increasing COVID-19 cases in his city.

The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) reported 28 COVID-19 positive cases in Lapu-Lapu City as of Friday, April 24.

Read: Chan: ECQ in Lapu extended until April 28

On Friday, Chan announced his decision to further extend the ECQ until May 18 or until such time that Oponganons are no longer faced with the risk of infection.

The extension was also in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to extend the ECQ in Luzon and other parts of the country with various COVID-19 cases.

But, Chan gave the assurance that the delivery of basic commodities, fuel, and other essentials will remain unhampered during the ECQ’s implementation.

While under ECQ, a 10-meter radius lockdown will also be implemented in areas with COVID-19 patients while barangay officials were directed to identify a common entry and exit points to regulate the movement of people in their respective jurisdictions.