Panay, Cebu, parts of Davao region placed under ECQ until May 15
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the island of Panay, the provinces of Cebu, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro and Davao City under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15, 2020 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced the President’s decision to adopt the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases’ recommendation in an address aired Friday morning.
Roque noted these areas will be under ECQ unless revised upon rechecking.
“Ang Antique at Iloilo, pareho pong pwede pang ma-recheck. Ang Aklan at ang Capiz pati na po ang Cebu at Cebu City na subject to rechecking. Ang Davao Del Norte, Davao City at ang Davao de Oro na subject pa rin to resetting,” he said.
According to the Department of Health’s (DOH) COVID-19 tracker, Cebu has 335 confirmed cases as of Thursday.
Its local government earlier imposed an ECQ scheduled to lapse on April 28, but was extended until May 15.
Article continues after this advertisementA bulk of the infection or 128 of its cases were reported from the Cebu City jail which is said to be occupied by over 6,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDL).
Article continues after this advertisementThe three Davao areas, meanwhile, have a total of 111 confirmed cases, according to data from DOH.
An enhanced community quarantine was already imposed on the whole of Davao region on April 4 and was originally scheduled to be lifted on April 19. Its ECQ was then extended until April 26.
Meanwhile, a total of 46 persons have been infected with the coronavirus in Panay Island which is composed of the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Antique and Iloilo.
The island was also earlier placed under quarantine by its local government.
The President has also announced that Metro Manila and several other provinces in Luzon with high number of COVID-19 cases will continue to be placed under ECQ until May 15.
Nationwide, health officials have so far confirmed 6,891 COVID-19 cases in the country with 462 fatalities and 722 recoveries.
