Cebu City, Mandaue City now under ECQ until May 31

MANILA, Philippines – The government’s coronavirus task force has placed Cebu City and Mandaue City under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from May 16 to May 31.

Under Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 37 sent to media at 7:10 am on Saturday, May 16, the following areas join Metro Manila and Laguna under modified ECQ until May 31:

• Bataan
• Bulacan
• Nueva Ecija
• Pampanga
• Zambales
• Angeles City 

The IATF said this is “without prejudice to the declaration of localized ECQ in critical areas.”

The rest of the country will be under general community quarantine until May 31. (EXPLAINER: What happens under general community quarantine?)

Four days earlier or on May 12, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that the IATF agreed to ease restrictions in the entire country starting May 16, with only Metro Manila, Laguna, and Cebu City placed under MECQ.

The IATF said in its latest resolution that it made the revisions during its meeting on Friday, May 15, “after validation by its Sub-Technical Working Group on Data Analytics, with updated case numbers and health systems capacity data, and in consideration of the appeals of the local government units.”

On Friday, the Philippines recorded 12,091 coronavirus cases.

Under the strictest ECQ, no public transportation is allowed, and only essential industries and services are allowed to operate. Movement of people is also restricted, with only one person per household allowed to leave the home to essential tasks.

Under MECQ, local governments can allow the limited resumption of public transportation, certain industries to operate at half capacity, and persons to leave their houses only for essential goods and work. (EXPLAINER: What’s modified ECQ and modified GCQ) 

Metro Manila and Luzon were placed under ECQ in mid-March to contain the spread of the coronavirus, initially only until April 12, but later extended to May 15. Other areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, including those without cases, also imposed quarantine measures.

Read IATF Resolution No. 37 here:

– Rappler.com