IATF reviews LGUs for modified ECQ

THE Inter- Agency Task Force ( IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is still evaluating the request of some provinces to be placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), instead of being under general community quarantine ( GCQ), Malacañang said on Friday.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the local government units’

(LGUs) requests for reclassification of their community quarantines would be discussed by the IATF when it meets on Friday. “Maramipongmgaprobinsya nagustong [ maging under modified] ECQ (There are provinces that want to be placed under MECQ) although they are now classified as GCQ. Pero wala pa pong desisyon ang IATF (But the IATF has no decision yet),” Roque said in a television interview. Local officials from various provinces made the appeal amid concerns that the sudden relaxation of quarantine measures could increase the number of coronavirus disease 2019 ( Covid- 19) cases within their jurisdictions.

Roque confirmed that there was a recommendation from the Regional Inter- Agency Task Force ( RIATF) on Covid- 19 in Central Luzon to impose MECQ instead of GCQ in the region from May 16 to 31.

He, however, said the IATF’s decision on the LGUs’ appeals would be based on the number of confirmed Covid- 19 cases

in their localities and their capacity to address Covid- 19 outbreak.

“And there [are] also, of course, ramifications because right now, the decision of the IATF is to limit already the amount of social amelioration, the second tranche of which should be limited only to areas remaining under ECQ for the month of May,” Roque said.

“And we’re still not sure where to get the amelioration for the third tranche of assistance for areas which remain under modified ECQ,”

he added. the

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed the entire island of Luzon under ECQ to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

A modified enhanced community quarantine will remain in Metro Manila, Laguna and Cebu City until May 31.

As of May 15, the Philippines has recorded 12,091 Covid- 19 infections.

Around 2,460 persons have already recovered from the infectious disease, while about 806 Covid-19 patients have succumbed and died.