THE Balabag village, which is the central part of Boracay, has been placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) beginning April 1, 2021.

The Zone 1 to 7 of adjacent Barangay Manocmanoc have also been placed under “surgical lockdown.”

Natividad Bernardino of the Boracay Island Rehabilitation Management Group said the decision of the local government of Malay has been supported and approved by the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF).

The BIATF has a separate authority with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), although members of the BIATF also lead the municipal IATF-EID.

Residents of areas under ECQ are allowed to go to the market to buy food and other essentials. But images of Boracay posted on social media indicate that the resort island is already a ghost town.

"It was Acting Malay Mayor Floribar Bautista who asked for it," Bernardino told SunStar in a text message.

Data from Malay Health Office showed that Malay town has recorded 135 cases of Covid-19. Many of the patients are from Boracay Island.

Of the 135 cases, 76 are also active.

Dr. Athena Magdamit said they believe that a new variant of Covid-19 may have entered Boracay because of the sudden surge of cases.

"We have already taken specimens and we will have sent this to the Department of Health in Manila for review," Magdamit said. (SunStar Philippines)