Garganera says additional week under MECQ may help

EOC deputy chief implementor Councilor Joel Garganera.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) said an additional week under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) may help reduce the active COVID-19 cases in the city.

This was the statement of Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the EOC, following the extension of the MECQ in Cebu City until September 7, 2021.

Garganera said that the cases have been on a plateau, but it may need a little more push to finally bring the cases down.

“Yes our cases are slowly going down but still it’s 3 digits, punga gihapon. I don’t need to argue or lobby for a much lower quarantine classification but instead, we’ll make use of the said one-week extension in further bring the cases down.”

“We should not take this Delta virus lightly kay deceitful kaayo ni siya nga kontra. Molugak ta ug kalit basin musaka na hinoon,” said Garganera.

The councilor understands that another week can seriously affect businesses that have been closed for almost a month now since the MECQ, and this is why they appeal to the public to be more cooperative so the cases would decrease.

The active cases in the city are now at 4,600 while the average number of new cases daily is still around 200. Hospitals are still almost full at a 70 percent utilization rate, while the death toll continues to rise now at 244.

Garganera said that the best way to bring back the economy would be to bring down the COVID-19 cases and reduce the transmission to a minimum so hospitals will no longer be overwhelmed.

For now, he urged the public to get vaccinated when they can, and whether vaccinated or not, to continue to follow the health protocols so as to avoid getting the virus.      /rcg

RELATED STORIES:

EOC reports more deaths in mountain barangays