(File photo)
DAVAO CITY – Mayor Sara Z. Duterte has requested the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Wednesday to place this city under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status from June 5 to 30, 2021 due to the surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the city.
In a statement, the City Information Office (CIO) said the letter was addressed to Undersecretary Epimaco V. Densing III of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and chairman of the IATF-EID Screening and Validation Committee.
“As of May 31, 2021, we have a total of 1,665 active cases currently admitted at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and our Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities and Isolation Facilities (TTMFs),” Duterte said in the letter.
Data from the Department of Health (DOH) 11 (Davao region) for the month of May showed the surge was evident due to the clustering of cases where people usually convened like workplace and gatherings.
For the first week of May, there are 783 cases in the Davao region, 754 (second week), 961 (third week) and, 1,772 (fourth week).
The city government, through its official social media platforms, also announced on Wednesday the city’s request to declare an MECQ in Davao City to allow a circuit breaker in the surge of patients inside hospitals.
It said all those affected by MECQ zero operational capacity under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Memorandum Circular 21-19 can coordinate with the “Trabaho Dabawenyo” employment assistance at the City Mayors Office Special Project Office located in Magsaysay Park.
MECQ guidelines
While waiting for the approval of the request, the city government urged Dabawenyos to review the IATF Omnibus Guidelines dated May 20, 2021 Section 3 or guidelines for areas placed under MECQ.
Based on the guidelines, minimum public health standards shall be complied with at all times for the duration of the MECQ and the movement of all persons shall be limited to accessing goods and services from permitted establishments, for work in establishments, or other activities allowed in this section (as amended by Paragraph C of IATF Resolution 110, April 15, 2021).
Any person below 18 years old, those who are more than 65 years old, those with immunodeficiency, comorbidity, or other health risks, and pregnant women shall be required to remain in their residences at all times, except for obtaining essential goods and services, or for work in industries and offices.
All establishments, persons, or activities not permitted to operate, work, or be undertaken during ECQ shall be allowed to operate at 50 percent on-site capacity while encouraging work-from-home and other flexible work arrangements, where applicable.
Among the establishments, persons, or activities that are not permitted to operate, work, or be undertaken during MECQ are entertainment and recreational venues, amusement parks or theme parks, outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities, and swimming pools, casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Also not permitted to operate are indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits, outdoor tourist attractions, venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions, and personal care services.
Indoor dine-in services of food preparation establishments, such as commissaries, restaurants, and eateries while agencies and instrumentalities of the government shall be fully operational, with a skeleton workforce on-site.
Gatherings outside of residences shall be prohibited and gatherings at residences with any person outside of one’s immediate household shall likewise be prohibited.
However, gatherings that are essential for the provision of health services, government services, or humanitarian activities authorized by the appropriate government agency or instrumentality shall be allowed. Religious gatherings shall be allowed up to 10 percent of the venue capacity. Provided, that, there is no objection from the local government unit where the religious gathering may take place.
Gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, funerals for those who died of causes other than Covid-19 shall be allowed, provided that the same shall be limited to immediate family members, upon satisfactory proof of their relationship with the deceased and with full compliance with the prescribed minimum public health standards for the duration of the activity.
The movement of cargo/delivery vehicles, as well as vehicles used by public utility companies, shall be unhampered.
Individual outdoor exercises, such as outdoor walks, jogging, running or biking, are allowed within the general area of their residence, e.g. within the barangay, purok, subdivision, and/or village. Provided, that the minimum public health standards and precautions, such as the wearing of face masks, and the maintenance of social distancing protocols are observed.
The city government assured that all public transportation shall be permitted to operate during MECQ. (PNA)
