LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte has noted a drop in the average weekly COVID-19 cases to 144 from Aug. 27 to Sept. 3 compared to the 210 recorded in the previous week.
Still classified on Tuesday under COVID-19 alert level 4, the province will revert to the less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ) with “heightened restrictions” beginning Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Alert level 4 means moderate to critical risk in infections and a healthcare utilization rate higher than 70 percent.
Ilocos Norte has been under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second most strict containment classification in the country, since Aug. 16 as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19.
As of Sept. 6, the provincial government has logged 16,039 COVID-19 cases, including 2,498 active infections, 13,311 recoveries, and 230 deaths.
DOH placed Ilocos Sur under COVID-19 alert level 4. The province is under GCQ with heightened restrictions until Sept. 30.
Ilocos Sur has logged at least 8,806 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began last year, of which 2,147 remained active, data from the provincial government showed.