Labella appeals Cebu City be placed under GCQ

Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella is appealing to the national government to place the city under general community quarantine (GCQ) instead of modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

The Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has recommended that Cebu City should remain under MECQ beginning June 1 as it is the second epicenter of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to Dr. Tony Leachon, the task force's adviser.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Labella said he wrote a letter addressed to Leocadio Trovela, chairperson of Region VII's IATF, to appeal the said recommendation.

"Our strategic community testing has already been completed and we are confident that the City of Cebu is ready to transition into general community quarantine," he said in his letter.

Labella pointed out that Cebu City's case fatality rate remains at 1% while the recovery rate is already at 22%. As of May 27, the number of confirmed cases in Cebu City is 2,013 with 25 deaths and 394 recoveries.

"The case doubling time in the city is more than seven days; and there is significant indication that there is a continuous reduction of additional cases in the city," the mayor said.

"We are seeing a downtrend on our COVID-19 cases. I really hope that IATF will grant our request," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to make the announcement Thursday night regarding the recommendation of the IATF. The task force also suggested that Metro Manila and Davao City could already be placed under GCQ.—AOL, GMA News