Duterte orders Cebu City returned to ECQ, Talisay in Cebu to MECQ

President Rodrigo Duterte has again placed Cebu City under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

The increasing number of new cases and widespread community transmission in majority of barangays in the city, as well as consistent case doubling time of less than seven days and significant increase in critical care utilization against critical care capacity, were the reasons cited for bringing the provincial capital back under the ECQ. 

Talisay City in Cebu was placed under modified ECQ (MECQ) for the same reasons.

The new quarantine classifications over the two cities will be in effect until June 30.

The announcement was made on Monday night, upon the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases' (IATF) recommendation.

On its Facebook page, the Cebu City government marked the decision with: "Tsk!"

Cebu City was shifted to a less strict general community quarantine (GCQ) on June 1 from MECQ. Mayor Edgar Labella had appealed for the city to be shifted to a GCQ before the decision was announced, while the IATF had recommended that it remain under MECQ, calling it the country's second epicenter for the virus.

In its June 14 situationer report, the Department of Health (DOH) said coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Region VII increased from 13% to 20% during the period of May 20 to June 13.

“A total of 4,091 (16 percent) confirmed cases was recorded in Region VII, the second highest reported in the country,” the DOH said.

Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the government’s coronavirus response, also said Cebu saw an increase in the number of severe COVID-19 cases.

He added that they will deploy over 55 ventilators donated by businessman Ramon Ang and around 6,000 sets of personal protective equipment on Tuesday.

Galvez and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also agreed to place Cebu City under observation.

“Kasi nagkakaroon po tayo ng tinatawag nating spike, kaya po nag-usap po kami na magpapadala rin po siya (Duque) ng surveillance team this coming Wednesday,” he said.

The Philippines has logged 26,420 COVID-19 cases with 6,252 recoveries and 1,098 deaths as of Monday afternoon.

Last week, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the national government is closely monitoring the situation in Cebu City due to a spike in cases. -NB/BM/LDF/KG, GMA News