The Zamboanga City Hall. (PNA file photo)
ZAMBOANGA CITY--The city government does not support the imposition of an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or lockdown because of its effects on the people and the economy, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said Thursday.
Salazar said this was the reason why the local government has intensified the enforcement of preventive measures, such as wearing face masks and face shields, practicing hand hygiene and physical distancing, and a range of movement restrictions.
She noted that even beaches and resorts have been temporarily closed to curb the transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) amid the rapidly increasing cases.
“Otherwise, if the cases become unmanageable, then the national government might declare ECQ, and we do not want to be under ECQ because of its effects on the livelihood of people,” Salazar said.
In addressing the pandemic, she said the local government has to balance medical science, facts, and the opportunity for people to continue putting food on the table.
The local inter-agency task force on Covid-19 has sought the national government’s approval to place this city under general community quarantine (GCQ) to restrict the movement of residents because of the sudden spike in cases.
The request for GCQ was based on the recommendation of City Health Officer Dulce Amor Miravite and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Elmeir Apolinario.
Zamboanga City has recorded 4,796 confirmed cases with 4,120 recoveries, based on its Covid-19 tracker as of April 13.
Of the total, 470 are active cases with 206 recorded deaths. (PNA)
