16,000 LSIs to remain in Cebu City as locality placed under MECQ

About 16,000 Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs) are set to remain in Cebu City with the region placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Several communities in Cebu City are still implementing a strict lockdown, according to a 24 Oras report by Ian Cruz on Friday.

"'Yung MECQ, it's still ECQ so to speak. Ang diperensiya lang, may mga establishment tayo ng essentials especially in the malls that are also opening," said Cebu City Emergency Operations Center Commander Councilor Joel Garganera.

Some LSIs have been in Cebu City since March.

"It is not us that want to prevent you from leaving. 'Yung respective LGU ninyo, ayaw din tumanggap sa inyo because 'yung safety ng tao, ang health, 'yun ang tinutukan nila," said Garganera.

The Bureau of Fire Protection Region 7 on Friday deployed 40 firefighters to serve as contact tracers in Cebu City. From five teams manually conducting contact tracing, the city now has 114 contact tracing teams, according to IATF Visayas.

DOH Central Visayas' latest data shows there are still 3,158 active cases in the region from the total 7,782 COVID cases.

Cebu City has recorded 405 deaths due to COVID-19, with 16 fatalities added on Thursday. — Jamil Santos/DVM, GMA News