LAOAG CITY — At least 23 of the 33 villages in Cabuago town in Ilocos Sur province were placed under “extreme” enhanced community quarantine (EECQ) for two weeks beginning Sunday (September 5) amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, officials said.
In an executive order, Cabugao Mayor Edgardo Cobangbang Jr. said the number of residents in the town being infected with the virus is rising at an “alarming rate.”
He said that the imposition of ECQ, the strictest containment classification in the country, was warranted due to the confirmed presence of the Delta and Alpha variants of COVID-19 in the town.
The remaining 10 villages in the town would remain under modified ECQ, the mayor said.
Among the villages placed under EECQ are Alinaay, Arnap, Baclig, Bonifacio, Bunglo, Cacadiran, Caellayan, Carusipan, Catucdaan, Cuancabal, Cuantacla, Daclapan, Dardarat, Margaay, Namruangan, Pug-os, Quezon, Rizal, Sabang, Sagayaden, Salapasap, Salomague, and Turod.
Until Sept. 19, the movement of the residents of these villages is strictly limited to emergency and medical purposes, with only one person for every residence allowed to go out to obtain essential goods.
All forms of mass gatherings had been disallowed by Cobangbang. He also imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a total liquor ban.