Cordillera region placed under GCQ from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will be placed under a general community quarantine (GCQ) from February 1 to 15.

According to a “24 Oras” report on Tuesday, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong confirmed that the region will return to GCQ.

Stricter border control will also be implemented between Benguet and Mountain Province during the same period.

Magalong said this means that travelers seeking to enter Benguet and Mountain Province must present a medical clearance to authorities.

Only essential travel will be allowed, he added.

Twelve cases of the UK coronavirus variant were earlier detected in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

Twelve cases of the UK coronavirus variant were earlier detected in Bontoc, Mountain Province.

On Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) also confirmed the local transmission of the new variant in Bontoc.

The DOH and the government’s inter-agency COVID-19 task force previously recommended tightening restrictions in the region from modified GCQ to GCQ following the detection of the UK variant.

The country has so far recorded 17 COVID-19 cases with the more transmissible variant.

President Rodrigo Duterte also rejected the IATF’s earlier decision to allow children aged 10 to 14 to leave their homes amid the pandemic after the new variant was detected in the country.  -Julia Mari Ornedo/NB, GMA News