IATF may submit recommendations on Luzon ECQ to Duterte on April 25

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) may submit its recommendations on the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to President Rodrigo Duterte on April 25, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said Sunday.

In an interview over ANC, Año said the IATF is set to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the presentation of the “COVID-19 disease epidemiology.”

“So we are going to take into considerations whatever the recommendations and conclusions what they will present tomorrow,” he said.

He later added: “So we’re thinking of coming up with the recommendation to the President probably maybe on the 25th, and of course it is going to be the President who shall decide if the enhanced community quarantine will be lifted, or modified or partially lifted or even extended.”

Luzon is now under a period of enhanced community quarantine as cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country continue to rise. As of Sunday, 6,259 COVID-19 cases have been recorded, with  572 recoveries and 402 deaths.

Año also stated that despite Duterte’s statement to impose a “martial law-like” lockdown to stop incidents of ECQ violations, the government will not be doing it.

“But actually, but on those severely affected areas, we may do that,” the DILG chief said.

Asked to clarify his statement, Año answered, “Yes, like a martial law-style where there are rampant violations of the lockdown.”

/MUF