The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) upgraded the quarantine status of the province and city of Iloilo to the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from modified ECQ.
Based on Resolution No. 127-E released by the (IATF), the reclassification of Iloilo City and Iloilo province takes effect on Friday, July 16, until the end of the month.
“Ang dahilan po ay this is precautionary and anticipatory sa pagpasok ng mas nakakahawa at mas nakamamatay na mga variants,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an interview over radio station Bombo Radyo-Iloilo.
“Meron kasing kaso sa Antique na tinitrace nila. Hindi pa naman po sure, it might have come from Iloilo. But what is more bothersome is that for the past six weeks talagang hindi po bumababa ang numero ng Iloilo kahit ano ng ginagawa natin,” he added.
City Mayor Jerry Trenas and Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. have yet to issue executive orders (EO) containing guidelines on the implementation ECQ.
“This is an unexpected turn of event. We have coordinated with the national government, DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), and other related departments,” Treñas said in a statement.
The IATF also decided to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” classification in the province of Antique until July 31.
Two of the 16 new cases of the highly-transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 were detected in Antique. The cases involved senior citizens.
The GCQ classification “with heightened restrictions” was also imposed in Aklan, Bacolod City, and Capiz from July 16 to 22.
Guimaras and Negros Occidental will be under regular GCQ until the end of the month.IMT
