Laoag City reverts to stricter GCQ as COVID-19 cases surge

A health worker in Ilocos Norte extracts a swab sample from a resident amid the rising COVID-19 cases there. Photo courtesy of Ilocos Norte provincial government

LAOAG CITY –– This capital city of Ilocos Norte would revert to the more restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) for two weeks starting May 13 to curb the rise in COVID-19, Mayor Michael Marcos Keon said Tuesday, May 11.

GCQ is the third most stringent quarantine classification in the country.

Keon said he decided to announce the “general details” of the change in quarantine status ahead of the executive order of Gov. Matthew Marcos Manotoc to allow residents to prepare.

The bulk of the active COVID-19 cases in Ilocos Norte came from this city with 180 residents infected as of May 11, said the mayor during a press briefing.

Only GCQ would be imposed so business activities would not be disrupted, said Keon.

The city was previously on modified GCQ, the least restrictive of the quarantine classification.

A stricter quarantine would “affect businesses and we are all aware that everyone is struggling to make ends meet now,” according to the mayor.

Lawyer Roxanne Lee Castro, city administrator, said the movement of people under GCQ would be controlled.

Social gatherings and leisure activities would not be allowed, and a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m curfew would be imposed, said Castro.

Keon added that religious activities would not be allowed in a physical setting.

He said 44 of the 80 villages in the city have active COVID-19 cases.

“All the [villages] that have active cases would be put on lockdown and we [city government] are ready to give ‘ayuda’ (relief goods) to the affected households,” he said.

Keon also ordered the extension of the lockdown at the public market that was imposed on May 5, when the virus infected three vendors.

At least 805 public market vendors underwent swab testing. Ten of them had tested positive, said Keon.

So far, the COVID-19 cases in Ilocos Norte have reached 2,110, of whom 1,638 recovered, while 19 died.

LZB