AT LEAST 10 areas in the country, including Cebu City, will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) from August 16 to 31 due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced Saturday, August 15.
These areas are the following:
* Cebu City
* Lapu-Lapu City
* Mandaue City
* Talisay City
* Minglanilla, Cebu
* Consolacion, Cebu
* Iloilo City
* Quezon Province
* Batangas
* Nueva Ecija
President Rodrigo Duterte will announce next week the community quarantine classification of the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, added Roque.
NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal have been placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until August 18.
The rest of the country will remain under modified general community quarantine, said Roque.
The Inter-Agency Task Force (ITAF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said in its Resolution 63, which was issued Friday, August 14, that the quarantine classifications were considered based on the epidemic risk level, economic, social and security considerations, as well as the appeals and commitment of local government units.
Roque said the National Task Force and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) were directed to ensure that minimum public health standards, intensified contact tracing, and quarantine of close contacts are strictly enforced in areas where local action is needed to combat the Covid-19.
"The National Task Force and DILG shall ensure that areas flagged for local action shall implement strict lockdown of areas in line with the Zoning Containment Strategy, strict enforcement of minimum health standards, and intensified tracing and quarantine of close contacts and isolation of confirmed cases," the IATF Resolution 63 stated.
As of August 14, the Philippines recorded a total of 153,660 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Of the total, 71,405 have recovered from the disease and 2,442 had died. The country's active cases remain at 79,813. (LMY/SunStar Philippines)