President Duterte has approved the recommendation of the government's pandemic task force to escalate the current risk classification of Laguna, Iloilo City, and Cagayan de Oro to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from August 6 to 15, 2021.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the announcement a day before the scheduled shift of the three areas to the strictest community quarantine classification.The move was placed amid the rising number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country.
The three areas joined Metro Manila which was placed under ECQ for two weeks from August 6 to 20.
Before its move to ECQ, Laguna was originally under the modified ECQ (MECQ). Iloilo City and Cagayan de Oro City were originally under ECQ until August 7 but this was extended until August 15.
Meanwhile, Cavite, Lucena City, Rizal, and Iloilo Province were placed under MECQ from August 6 to 15, 2021.
Cavite, Lucena City, and Rizal were originally under the general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions from August 1 to 15 before they were escalated to MECQ.
Iloilo province, in contrast, was lowered from its ECQ status that was supposed to last until August 7.
Meantime, Batangas and Quezon were placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions from August 6 to 15. Both provinces were originally placed under normal GCQ for the entire month.
"Beginning 8 August 2021, the municipality of Gingoog will be placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions, following the quarantine classification of its mother province, Misamis Oriental," Roque added.