By Chito A. Chavez
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año on Wednesday explained that placing Cebu City under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is not a punishment but is due to the spike of COVID-19 cases in the area.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año
(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella will appeal the government's decision as local residents continue to reel from the economic woes in the midst of the pandemic. Año said Labella can make an appeal but advised him to use the opportunity to intensify contact tracing and mass testing in the city to curb the spread of the virus. He assured Labella that the police will support him in strictly enforcing quarantine protocols in the city. Año told Labella that the President’s decision to place Cebu City under ECQ is based on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). Cebu City was placed under ECQ due to its increasing number of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, widespread community transmission in majority of barangays in the city and consistent case doubling time of less than seven days and significant increase in critical care utilization against critical care capacity. Año in an interview over GMA News said that the new COVID-19 cases came from Cebu City and Metro Manila. The DILG chief noted that the hospitals in Cebu City have been severely burdened by the surge in COVID-19 cases in the area. In the last two weeks, Año said 576 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the area. Latest data from the Cebu City Health Department reported 3,613 COVID19 cases and 39 deaths in the city.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella will appeal the government's decision as local residents continue to reel from the economic woes in the midst of the pandemic. Año said Labella can make an appeal but advised him to use the opportunity to intensify contact tracing and mass testing in the city to curb the spread of the virus. He assured Labella that the police will support him in strictly enforcing quarantine protocols in the city. Año told Labella that the President’s decision to place Cebu City under ECQ is based on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). Cebu City was placed under ECQ due to its increasing number of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, widespread community transmission in majority of barangays in the city and consistent case doubling time of less than seven days and significant increase in critical care utilization against critical care capacity. Año in an interview over GMA News said that the new COVID-19 cases came from Cebu City and Metro Manila. The DILG chief noted that the hospitals in Cebu City have been severely burdened by the surge in COVID-19 cases in the area. In the last two weeks, Año said 576 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the area. Latest data from the Cebu City Health Department reported 3,613 COVID19 cases and 39 deaths in the city.