Cordillera except Ifugao under GCQ until May 30

By Redjie Melvic M. Cawis

BAGUIO CITY -- The National Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in latest advisory Thursday placed under general quarantine classification (GCQ) Abra, Apayao, Baguio, Benguet, Kalinga and Mountain Province; Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya in Region 2 including National Capital Region from May 15-30.
    The Philippine Information Agency bared this saying Santiago City and Quirino Province were under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) while the rest of the country was under MGCQ.
    Apayao, Benguet and Cagayan were earlier placed under MECQ May 10 to 23.
    The National IATF-EID earlier issued resolution 114-C series of 2021 May 9 placing Apayao and Benguet in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan in Region 2 under a more stringent MECQ status in the next days.
    The IATF-EID earlier placed   Abra and Ifugao under MECQ from May 1 to 14, 2021 with the rest of Cordillera and Baguio City   under GCQ for the whole month of May.
    However, Abra and Apayao were raised to higher risk classification due to increase of Covid-19 cases. 
    The local government of Apayao welcomed the MECQ risk classification as this would be used for effective cases management.
    As of May 10, Apayao recorded 989 Covid-19 confirmed cases with 928 recoveries,   54   active cases and seven Covid-19 related deaths. 
    Meanwhile, Benguet LGU is challenged by high Covid-19 confirmed cases and rising death cases.
    Last May 7, the Provincial Health Office reported the youngest death case recorded, a three-year-old female from the municipality of Buguias.
    As of May 10,   Benguet recorded 7,982 Covid-19 confirmed cases with 7,186 recoveries, 620 active cases and 176 Covid- related deaths.
    The beds allotted for Covid-19 cases at the Benguet General Hospital are full.  
    More Covid-19 patients with severe and critical symptoms are being admitted in hospitals.
    “As per recommendation of the National (Inter-Agency) Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the province of Apayao shall be placed under MECQ from May 10-23, 2021,” read a statement posted in the official Facebook page of the provincial government of Apayao. 
    Quarantine measures under MECQ include stricter border control, suspension of public transportation except tricycles, closure of nonessential establishments, 50-percent workforce for businesses that are allowed to open, and encouraging work-from-home schemes for workers.
    As of this posting, traveling in and out of the province is highly regulated as only authorized persons can go outside their residence subject to health and safety protocols