Entire Cebu retains MGCQ status

File photo
File photo

ALL areas in Cebu will remain under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) from Oct. 1 to 31, 2020, while Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City, will remain under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) during the same period.

The National Capital Region (NCR), or Metro Manila, will remain under GCQ for the entire month of October, President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday night, Sept. 28.

Iloilo City and Bacolod City in Western Visayas, as well as Iligan City in Northern Mindanao, which are all under MECQ, will shift to the more relaxed GCQ in October.

Batangas province in Central Luzon and Tacloban City, Leyte in Eastern Visayas will also remain under GCQ.

Restrictions

In Cebu City, Mayor Edgardo Labella said he favors the retention of the city’s MGCQ status even though the number of Covid-19 cases here has significantly dropped.

Labella told reporters he will continue to implement strict quarantine measures in the city especially, during the All Souls’ and All Saints’ Day celebrations when people are expected to flock to cemeteries to visit their dead.

“If we remove those restrictions when Covid-19 is still in our midst, it could be dangerous for us,” Labella said.

As of Sept. 29, the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas reported 9,981 Covid-19 cases in Cebu City with 8,928 recoveries and 380 remaining active cases.

A total of 673 deaths had been recorded.

“We are thankful because of the concerted efforts of all different groups, sectors in Cebu City, we have flattened the curve. In fact, yesterday, only three new cases were recorded in Cebu City,” Labella said in a mix of Cebuano and English.

“As I have said over and over again, let us not be complacent. Let us not flaunt this, let us not aggrandize this; but this should serve as a challenge to all of us to be more vigilant, circumspect and careful in our day-to-day tasks and strictly comply with the basic health protocol,” Labella added.

Cemeteries

To avoid the further spread of Covid-19 in the city, Labella signed a new executive order for the temporary closure of cemeteries from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4 to prevent people from converging during All Souls’ and All Saints’ Day.

From Sept. 26 to Oct. 28, local police, barangay officials and City Hall personnel will be assigned in cemeteries to strictly implement 30 percent maximum capacity and prevent people 60 years old and above and those below 21 years from going inside cemeteries.

People visiting cemeteries on those days will be required to carry their quarantine passes.

In Mandaue City, Mayor Jonas Cortes also welcomed the IATF decision to keep the city under MGCQ even though its Covid-19 cases have dropped.

“We need to continue to practice all health protocols in order to really flatten the curve. I ask every Mandauehanon to remain vigilant,” Cortes said.

As of Sept. 29, Mandaue City recorded 2,441 Covid-19 cases with 2,123 recoveries and 176 remaining active cases.

Mandaue City also recorded a total of 142 Covid-related deaths. (SunStar Philippines, PAC / JKV, KFD)

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph