CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella will not appeal to the Interagency Task Force (IATF) the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) status of Cebu City.
Although he would have wanted to be downgraded to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from ECQ, he said he believes the IATF may have its reasons to keep the city under MECQ.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced late Wednesday night, July 15, 2020, that Cebu City was to be placed under MECQ from July 16 to 31.
Read: Cebu City under MECQ until July 31
With this, Labella said the city government would now focus on working on intensified contact tracing, improving the implementation of the MECQ guidelines, and improving the response for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
Labella also said the city will continue to provide aid to the residents who will be affected by the continuous closure of various businesses for the next two week.
Executive order
“Maningkamot lang ta nga in the next few days, madowngrade to GCQ,” said Labella.
(We will work hard in the next few days so that we will be downgraded to GCQ.)
On Thursday, the mayor said he will be meeting with mall owners to discuss their slow opening of other shops aside from supermarkets as department stores may be partially opened under the MECQ.
The mayor said he wants to meet them first before passing an executive order to smoothen out the details.
Labella also counts on the help of the IATF since Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, the overseer in Cebu, will remain here to monitor the city’s COVID-19 response. /bmjo