Talisay, Cebu mayor says MECQ reclassification based on 'incorrect' data

Talisay City, Cebu Mayor Anthony Gullas Jr. is appealing to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases to downgrade its quarantine status from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ), noting the improved COVID-19 situation in the city.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV on Thursday, Gullas said the decision of the IATF to revert Talisay to a stricter MECQ was based on "incorrect" data given by the Department of Health Region 7.

Based on the data, Gullas said no recoveries were reported in Talisay, where in fact the city already had 50 recoveries from its 126 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

"I got the data and it turns out that the data that the DOH Region 7 gave was incorrect from the data on the ground here in the city of Talisay,"he said.

"As far as I'm concerned I presented the real data on the ground."

Gullas said he learned from ranking IATF officials, including Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, that the reclassification to MECQ was based from data sent by DOH Region 7.

Gullas said he already coordinated with Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia regarding the matter and she will endorse his appeal to the Regional IATF.

"[W]ith the new info at hand, that hopefully through the governor who will concur that we can appeal and hopefully we can revert back to, I believe where we truly belong, at GCQ," he said.

"I gave my letter to the governor and the governor gave the letter to the Regional IATF and the  Regional IATF hopefully will talk about this issue within the day or tomorrow," Gullas added.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Talisay City will again be placed under MECQ, citing the increasing number of new cases.

The new quarantine classification over the city, which was recommended by the IATF, will be in effect until June 30. --KBK, GMA News