PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to extend the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in high-risk areas, including Cebu City and Cebu, until May 15.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the IATF also has to re-check the situation in Cebu, Cebu City, Antique, Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, and Davao de Oro (formerly known as Compostela Valley).
New normal
All other areas will be under general community quarantine (GCQ), which is going to be the new normal, effective May 1, Roque said.
Areas classified as low risk may further relax quarantine rules after May 15.
Under GCQ, the IATF recommended that children and young adults up to 20 years old, senior citizens aged 60 and up, and individuals with high health risk will still be required to stay home.
Also under GCQ: Workers in certain sectors will be allowed to return to work in phases. Non-leisure shops in malls will be allowed to reopen. Priority and essential construction projects will be allowed to resume. Non-workers, except minors, may go out of their homes to buy goods and services. Public transportation systems will be allowed to operate at reduced capacity. Local government units will enforce curfew at night for non-workers. And high schools and higher education institutes may be allowed to finish the school year and give credential to students.
Roque said the IATF also recommended the re-allocation of cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program for residents in GCQ areas to residents in ECQ areas.
In both ECQ and GCQ areas, the IATF said airports and ports may be reopened to facilitate cargo shipments.
Classification
Roque said the IATF recommendations were based on the risk of outbreak in an area.
Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, who joined the press briefing via Skype, said the IATF used two criteria to classify the provinces and cities.
These are the case doubling rate and the critical care utilization rate.
“Kung mabilis dumoble, ibig sabihin yung risk of outbreak malaki at dapat bantayan natin. Yung pangalawang basehan namin ay yung critical care utilization rate. Ibig sabihin kung sapat ba yung kagamitan sa hospital, kung meron ba tayong ICU, ventilator or isolation,” Chua explained.
“Puedeng konti lang yung kaso sa probinsya pero wala namang sapat na kagamitan sa hospital...ibig sabihin yung may sakit hindi mabibigyan ng care at baka ito ay kumalat,” he added.
Health officials noted that doubling time, or the period during which the number of cases doubles, has lengthened, indicating slower progression of the infections.
But they also said the epidemic curve, or the chart plotting the number of infections in an epidemic over time, is not flattening yet and there is no room for complacency.
More funds
With the ECQ extended to May 15, the Cebu City Government plans to conduct a second round of relief distribution for affected families.
Mayor Edgardo Labella has asked the City Council to allow him to release funds to buy an additional 150,000 sacks of rice.
The City wants to distribute around 25 kilos of rice per family which could last them another two weeks, Labella said.
Labella assured that aside from house owners, renters living in the city’s 80 barangays can expect to receive their own rice supply from the City.
“We will prioritize those who are really poor. We will also include renters because they are also affected by this crisis,” Labella said, in Cebuano.
Cebu City has 1.1 million residents.
In Talisay City, Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. said he will look into the possible realignment of funds to purchase essential goods.
“We are trying to look at the budget. We really want to give to most people. We will look at the situation,” Gullas said.
Meanwhile, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said he will issue an order to extend their local ECQ until further notice.
Lapu-Lapu’s ECQ was supposed to expire on April 28.
Business reaction
The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president Steven Yu said while the prolonged ECQ will lead to further business losses and less income for workers, it will give government more time to do targeted mass testing and understand the situation better.
“It will help us avoid a deadlier second or third wave of infections. We are sacrificing now to make way for a better future,” said Yu.
For her part, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia challenged the business sector to adapt to the “new normal.”
“This is the challenge that I presented to Cebu Chamber of Commerce, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce, Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Philippine Millers Association. Work with us as the province of Cebu transitions from ECQ or Enhanced Community Quarantine to ECD. Unsa maning ECD, enhanced countryside development,” Garcia told reporters on Friday.
“Let us go now from building condominiums to agribusiness, to producing food for the Cebuanos. Let’s be self-sufficient,” she added. (SunStar Philippines, PAC/JKV, JCT, GCM/JKV, JOB, ANV)