Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque | via PCOO Live Video
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF – EID) announced that nine areas, including Cebu, will remain under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15.
Presidential Spokesperson and lawyer Harry Roque made this announcement during the Malacañang’s virtual press conference on Thursday, April 30, 2020.
Aside from Cebu, other regions and provinces whose ECQ shall stay in place until 11:59 p.m. of May 15 are the National Capital Region, Central Luzon excluding Aurora, Calabarzon, Pangasinan, Benguet, Iloilo, Bacolod City, and Davao City.
Citing the recommendations from IATF, the national government’s decision-making body on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Roque said highly urbanized and independent cities belonging to provinces under ECQ should likewise follow.
“Base po yan sa dami nang kaso at dun sa kakayahan nang lugar na magbigay nang medical services (The recommendations are based on the actual number of COVID-19 cases and the healthcare system capacity of these areas),” Roque said.
As of April 29, 2020, Cebu has a total of 631 confirmed COVID-19 cases, comprising around 99 percent of the region’s entire tally which is now at 636.
The bulk of the patients are from Cebu City, the province’s capital, with 555. It was followed by Lapu-Lapu City with 34, Cebu province with 25, and Mandaue City with 17. /rcg