Cebu City now a COVID-19 hotspot due to quarantine violators – Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Cebu City has become a COVID-19 hotspot because of people who violated quarantine rules, President Rodrigo Duterte said in a televised address early on Wednesday.

“Nobody followed [the rules]. So many of you did not follow,” Duterte said in Filipino.

The enhanced community quarantine placed over Cebu City was extended until July 15, the lone area in the Philippines in the strictest form of lockdown.

Cebu City has so far recorded 5,494 COVID-19 cases, with 169 deaths and 2,723 recoveries.

Duterte also lamented how Talisay City seemed to be a “market place.”

“Talisay was like a market place every day. You’re drinking there, gambling — almost nonchalant of the dangers that are lurking around,” he said.

Talisay was downgraded to a general community quarantine (GCQ) from modified ECQ starting July 1 to July 15.

The President, meanwhile, said he observed “substantial compliance” among residents of Metro Manila and the rest of greater Manila area while it was under GCG.

“I would not say there was no violation. There were violations but not in a scale I saw in other places,” he said.

Metro Manila remains under GCQ until July 15.

As of Tuesday, there were 37,514 COVID-19 cases nationwide with 1,266 deaths and 10,233 recoveries.

/atm