(Eagle News) – Cebu City remains under Enhanced Community Quarantine after July 15, while Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Benguet, Leyte, Southern Leyte and other cities and areas which are currently still under General Community Quarantine will stay under GCQ.
President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials, including Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, made the announcement on Wednesday, July 8, at past 1 a.m. in a televised press briefing.
Duque said that the considerations for the decision for Cebu City to remain under ECQ is its faster case doubling time which is below seven days, the fast rise in COVID-19 cases, and the high critical care utilization rate.
The health chief explained that the hospital beds in Cebu City, including isolation beds, ICU beds and ward beds, and mechanical ventilators have high utilization rate because of the high number of COVID-19 cases there.
During the briefing, Duque also announced the areas under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) which have less restrictions.
Those under GCQ are Metro Manila, Benguet, Cavite, Rizal, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Leyte, Ormoc, Southern Leyte, and three areas in Cebu Province — Talisay City, Minglanilla, and Consolacion.
These are the same areas currently under GCQ.
-Areas under MGCQ-
Duque also announced provinces and areas under the less restricted Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) but with “strict local action.”
These are the following:
For CAR, Cordillera Administrative Region – Abra, Baguio City, Ifugao, Kalinga;
For Region I – Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan;
Region II – Cagayan and Isabela;
Region III – Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Angeles City;
For Region IV-A – Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Lucena City;
For Region IV-B – Palawan, Puerto Princesa City;
Region V – Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Naga City;
Region VI – Capiz, Iloilo, Iloilo City, Negros Occidental and Bacolod City;
For Region VII – Cebu Province, Bohol and Negros Oriental;
Region VIII – Tacloban City, Western Samar;
Region IX – Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur;
Region X – Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro;
Region XI – Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao City, Davao de Oro;
Region XII po –Cotabato, South Cotabato;
Region XIII or CARAGA – Agusan del Norte and Butuan City;
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or BARMM – Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.
Those areas not mentioned are considered placed under next category or classification which is low risk modified GCQ, which has less restrictions than MGCQ.
President Duterte, however, said that the present situation on COVID-19 is “a very dynamic thing” and the level of community restrictions can change depending on the situation.
“It can change everyday depending on the numbers and of course upon the assessment of our health authorities,” the President said.
(Eagle News Service)
