LEGAZPI CITY —The Albay Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on Monday has placed Legazpi City and the neighboring town of Daraga under the stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) due to the rising cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara, the chairperson of the Albay IATF, issued Executive Order No. 14, placing Legazpi City and Daraga on tighter community quarantine to curb the spread of the virus despite the preventive measure it has enforced during the past months.
Bichara said the decision was based on the Department of Health (DOH) report stating that Legazpi City and Daraga town recorded the highest COVID-19 cases in Albay. The two areas posted a case incidence ranging from three to 72 cases in May.
The order said while Legazpi and Daraga were placed under GCQ, the rest of the towns and cities (14 towns and two cities) in Albay remain under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status.
The city of Legazpi and Daraga would be under GCQ effective Monday (May 31) until 15 days later.
Albay had been declared by the DOH assessment study as a moderate risk area for COVID and placed the province under the MGCQ status.
Under the GCQ, stricter health protocols would be enforced, such as limited movement of persons except in accessing essential goods and services and persons below 18 years of age and those over 65 years of age and persons with co-morbidities, and pregnant women are required to stay at home except in buying essential goods and services.
All mass gatherings such as, but not limited to, religious gatherings, necrological services, and visits to memorial parks, including operation of all tourist destinations, are reduced to a maximum of 30 percent capacity.
All tourist destinations under the MGCQ shall be permitted to operate at 50 percent capacity.
The Minimum Public Health Standards (MPHS) would strictly be enforced.
The local government units may impose a curfew.
A 50/50 split between work-from-home and on-site capacity is to be allowed for public and private establishments.