CITY OF SAN FERNANDO –– Pampanga has recorded 25 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections in the last ten days, increasing the number of patients, including a 3-year-old child, to 133, according to Gov. Dennis Pineda said.
“This is not a joke. If the number of cases continues to go higher, I have no choice but [ask the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] to revert us [from a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) to a general or enhanced community quarantine to avert a worse situation,” Pineda said in a video post over social media.
The governor said he would lock down villages where infections and exposure to the virus are numerous.
Most of the newly infected are people who have returned to work in Metro Manila.
Pineda ordered local officials and the police to strictly enforce ordinances that mandate face masks and physical distancing in public places.
He said MGCQ does not allow people to assemble or linger outdoors.
The governor urged private companies and public agencies to quarantine workers who have undergone testing. “Please go out only when you need to buy essentials,” he said.