Ifugao slides back to MECQ, Puerto Princesa placed under GCQ for next two weeks

Ifugao province has been added to areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from May 1 to 14 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. said Friday.

Roque said Ifugao was added to the list based on the appeal made by the officials of the province.

Aside from Ifugao, other areas under MECQ are: National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, City of Santiago in Isabela, Abra and Quirino.

The city of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, on the other hand, was placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) from the modified GCQ.

“They appealed [for stricter quarantine protocol]. We looked at two-week daily attack rate and their hospital utilization rate, and they met the cut,” Roque said during the Laging Handa briefing.

MECQ protocol bans non-essential trips and partially shuts down non-essential businesses and services.

GCQ, on the other hand, partially allows leisurely trips as well as authorizes increased operational capacity for both essential and non-essential businesses and services.—AOL, GMA News