MANILA – Iloilo City has been placed under stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of the month following a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), through Resolution No. 6-C, raised the quarantine status in Iloilo City after appeals from its city government.
Iloilo City was previously under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
“…The risk-level classification of Iloilo City shall be escalated to modified enhanced community quarantine beginning May 23, 2021, until May 31, 2021,” the IATF resolution read.
Meanwhile, Apayao, Benguet, and Cagayan will retain their MECQ classification until May 31.
“Upon the recommendations of the Screening and Validation Committee, Apayao, Benguet, and Cagayan shall retain their risk-level classification of modified enhanced community quarantine until May 31, 2021,” the resolution read.
The IATF initially placed the provinces under MECQ from May 10 to May 23 to prevent a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Last May 13, Duterte downgraded the quarantine classification in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus and other areas to a more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” until the end of the month.
GCQ with heightened restrictions means that only “essential travel into and out of the NCR Plus” will be allowed.
NCR Plus, composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, was previously under MECQ.
Apart from NCR Plus, the quarantine classification in Abra was also downgraded from MECQ to GCQ.
The City of Santiago in Isabela, Zamboanga City, Quirino, and Ifugao will stay under MECQ status until the end of the month.
Baguio City, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon, Iligan City, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, and Puerto Princesa City will be under GCQ until May 31.
The rest of the country remains under the least restrictive modified GCQ (MGCQ) for the whole month of May. (PNA)
