I WOKE up yesterday morning to find a copy of a document circulating online, purporting to be a resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force that recommended, among others, placing Cebu City under modified enhanced community quarantine from June 1 to 15.
If true, IATF Resolution No. 40 improves our current enhanced community quarantine and should be welcome news to us. But here’s the catch: The IATF resolution also gave us the dubious distinction of being the only place in the country that is considered at high-risk to the spread of the coronavirus disease.
In comparison, the National Capital Region, which continues to have the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the whole country, was classified only as high-to-moderate-risk and placed under general community quarantine. Cebu province and the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu were categorized moderate-risk but like the NCR are recommended to be placed under GCQ.
As bitter as it is to swallow, the classification fairly reflects the state of the coronavirus outbreak in the city, which continues to log new Covid-19 incidents every day. It is possible that this is due to the vigorous campaign to trace and test suspected infections being pursued by City Hall and health officials but it does not help our reputation that people returning to their provinces from Cebu City were found to be positive for the Wuhan-originated virus.
The IATF gave governors and mayors until today to appeal their classification but I think Mayor Edgar Labella will not do so and instead focus on identifying and isolating coronavirus carriers, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, to prevent them from infecting others.
So what does MECQ look like? What are the notable changes that it offers?
Executive Order No. 077, which the mayor signed before he was advised by the IATF on May 14 or thereabouts that the city will remain under ECQ may provide a clue. Its salient provisions include:
- All persons shall stay at home and movement outside their home shall be allowed only for the purpose of accessing basic necessities and services. However, only one member of the household is allowed to go out for this purpose.
- Manufacturers of essential goods like food, medicine and medical products as well as non-aesthetic (as opposed to vanity) clinics, laundry shops and repair shops, among others, shall be allowed to operate in full capacity.
- Manufacturers of non-essential commodities such as beer, soft drinks and tobacco are permitted to work at partial operating capacity. Lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers can also report back to their offices but for only 50 percent of the time; the other 50 percent should be spent working from home.
- Outdoor exercises such as walking, jogging and biking are allowed. Gyms will remain closed.
Needless to say, the mayor can choose to adopt EO 077 or issue a different one. Regardless of which action he takes, we can make our lives easier, if not now at least starting June 16, by learning to obey the rules.
Postscript: I just learned that Mayor Labella has appealed the IATF resolution and asked that the city be placed under GCQ instead. I saw his letter and it does offer valid arguments to warrant a reconsideration.