DOH advisers: Place Cebu under ECQ again
SOME members of the technical advisory council of the Department of Health central office have recommended placing Cebu under enhanced community quarantine due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases and the reported Sars-CoV-2 mutations, or “mutations of concern.”
However, the DOH 7 leadership has appealed to the council to give them time to review its data, according to DOH 7 spokesperson and chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche.
Local business leaders slammed the idea of placing Cebu under ECQ status, saying there should be a balance between health and livelihood. ECQ is the strictest community quarantine status as it restricts public movement and transportation, and would close non-essentail commercial establishments (cinemas, entertainment hubs and tourism destinations).
In a meeting with the DOH central office’s technical advisory council (TAC) on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, the DOH 7 was given until Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, to address the current Covid-19 situation in Cebu so it could keep to keep its modified general community quarantine status (MGCQ) status, Loreche said.