LAOAG CITY –– The rising number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases here has prompted Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc to place this city back to a more restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) from modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) effective Monday until further notice.
Records from the provincial government showed that of the 162 active cases in Ilocos Norte as of Jan. 10, at least 127 came from this city.
In a statement, Manotoc said leisure travel and parties in this city are highly discouraged under GCQ while the local government contains the outbreak.
On Jan. 10, the provincial government conducted an emergency hiring of contract tracers after some of those earlier deployed to this city were compromised and had to be placed under quarantine.