Another Ilocos Norte city placed under lockdown

Ilocos Norte imposed Tuesday, August 3, a localized enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on Batac City, the third area in the province clamped with a rigid lockdown.

Ilocos Norte itself, which is battling an upsurge of COVID-19 infections, is under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second highest containment status of the government.

Earlier, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc also ordered hard lockdowns on the provincial capitol of Laoag City and the municipality of Pagudpud.

With the localized ECQ, no one is allowed to enter or leave the three areas without authorization.

Meanwhile, 86 healthcare workers of the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) in Laoag City have also been infected with COVID-19.

The hospital also reported that it has exceeded its 104-bed capacity dedicated for COVID-19 infected patients.

In its August 2 report, the Ilocos Norte’s Task Force Salun-at recorded a total of 3,379 active cases of COVID-19, 112 of which were new infections. There have also been 137 recoveries reported.

Laoag City still ranked first in the province with 1,024 infection, followed by Batac City with 432 cases, and Bacarra town, adjacent to Laoag City, with 254 cases.

In another development, a rural health nit (RHU) of Marcos town in Ilocos Norte was temporarily closed and its healthcare personnel were put under isolation after one of them tested positive for COVID-19.

Marcos Mayor Antonio Mariano said the RHU would remain shut until all healthy personnel finish their quarantine period.

Mariano told residents to proceed to the Marcos District Hospital to avail of medical services.

Mariano also assigned drivers from the mayor’s office to temporarily use the RHU’s ambulance to fetch stranded individuals who want to enter the town. – Rappler.com