Chan continues to wait for IATF reply on his appeal to place Lapu under MECQ

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan

CEBU CITY, Philippines – What will it be for Lapu-Lapu City?

Mayor Junard Ahong Chan said in a Facebook post early on Saturday morning, May 16, 2020, that he continues to wait for the reply of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on his appeal to place the city under Modified Enhance Community Quarantine (MECQ).

IATF made an earlier recommendation to already migrate the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) while Cebu City will already be placed under MECQ.

“Hangtud karon mga kutloa wala pa tay nadawat sa IATF mahitungod sa atong apelasyon nga e konsiderar ang atong syudad ubos sa Modified Enchanced Community Quarantine. Apan nangandam kita kung kita ipaubos sa General Community Quarantine,” Chan said on FB.

(Until now, we are yet to receive the decision of the IATF on our appeal to instead place our city under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine.  But we are also making preparations should they decide to place us under General Community Quarantine.)

Read:  Chan wants ECQ in Lapu extended

If he were to have his way, Chan earlier said that he would have wanted his city to remain under ECQ because of the continuing increase in the number of COVID-19 cases here. If not an ECQ, Chan wanted his city placed under MECQ.

Around 50 cases of the infection with 24 recoveries and one death were already logged in the city as of Friday.

Chan said that rapid mass testing was also ongoing.

But Chan said that he would also willingly comply should IATF push for GCQ implementation here.

While under GCQ, public transportation will already be allowed to operate but with reduced capacity in order to still maintain social distancing while some businesses will already be allowed to resume operations.

However, safety measures like the stay at home policy, wearing of face masks, liquor ban, and the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in the city will still be implemented.