Laguna appeals for exclusion on list of areas under modified ECQ

MANILA, Philippines — The provincial government of Laguna has appealed to the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) not to be included on the list of areas to be placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Laguna Public Information Officer Chris Sanji said Wednesday that the provincial government wants the province to be placed instead under a general community quarantine.

“Yes. Yesterday pa (As early as yesterday),” Sanji said in a phone interview with INQUIRER.net when asked to confirm if the provincial government has submitted a formal request to have the province excluded in areas to be placed under the modified ECQ.

Laguna is one of the three areas to be placed under modified enhanced community quarantine from May 16 until May 31, alongside Metro Manila and Cebu City.

Sanji pointed out that other provinces in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) have higher coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases but were not scheduled to be placed under a modified ECQ.

He said that mayors of the province will also convene on Wednesday afternoon to discuss more details of the quarantine measures.

The movement of people in areas to be placed under the modified ECQ, which the IATF-EID have classified as “high risk” communities, will continue to be severely restricted, with most residents only allowed to leave their homes for the provision of food and other basic necessities or in cases of emergency.

Some industries will be allowed to reopen in a limited capacity, although the government has yet to finalize which industries will be permitted to resume operations.

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