MANILA – The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) withdrew its earlier recommendation tightening the quarantine classifications for most areas in Western Visayas.
Based on the recommendation approved by President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, Iloilo city and province will remain under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until July 22.
Bacolod City, Aklan and Antique will be under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions for the remainder of July, while Capiz is at GCQ with heightened restrictions from July 16 to 22.
Negros Occidental and Guimaras, on the other hand, get to keep their GCQ level without heightened restrictions for the rest of the month.
The national IATF earlier recommended placing Iloilo city and province under the strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and Bacolod City, Aklan, Antique and Capiz under MECQ.
However, local government units (LGUs) urged it to reconsider as a tighter quarantine classification would gravely affect their constituents.
Although the IATF-MEID granted the appeal of Region 6, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the taskforce would closely monitor the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation until July 22.
“Kung hindi po mag-improve ang ating mga numero, posible po na mabago muli ang classification ng Iloilo City at Iloilo,” Roque said on Thursday afternoon at PTV4. He was referring to the areas’ average daily attack rate (ADAR) and Health Care Utilization Rate (HCUR).
WV LCES ‘THANKFUL’
For Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas, despite the quarantine status, Iloilo City can still open some businesses.
“I have seen a lot of reactions and grief from the news we heard a few days ago, and we are very happy that we can still go on with our lives. We are hoping that the national government will continue to assist our battle and will extend or lower our quarantine status,” said Treñas.
Iloilo province’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. also welcomed the development, saying he would only extend the effectivity of his Executive Order No. 222, series of 2021 “for intensified prevention, detection, isolation, treatment, and reintegration under MECQ and to implement a socioeconomic recovery plan in the province of Iloilo.”
Defensor also reminded the Ilonggos to never be complacent even with the quarantine status quo.
He reiterated the strict compliance to the minimum health standards, reverse isolation and prohibition of social gatherings.
Antique’s Gov. Rhodora Cadiao, meanwhile, said the provincial government appreciates the positive response of the national IATF.
“As such, the gains that our local businesses and the overall economy of the province will continue,” the governor said.
“Dahil kami ang humingi niyan (quarantine status quo), pangangatawan namin ‘yan at gagawin ang lahat para matulongan ang IATF,” Cadiao added.
She also encouraged her constituents to continue observing necessary precautions to counter this pandemic, and most of all, be vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the provincial government of Capiz acknowledged it needed to work hard to decrease the province’s ADAR and HCUR.
Roxas City’s Mayor Ronnie Dadivas is also thankful to the national IATF. The city remains under GCQ status.
Nevertheless, he urged his constituents to continue cooperating by observing the minimum public health standards.
“Ginapahanumdom ko sa gihapon sa aton mga kasimanwa ang doble nga paghalong kag pag sunod sang aton health protocols agud indi na mag lala pa ang aton sitwasyon,” he said.
For his part, Guimaras’ Vice Gov. John Edward Gando said the provincial government will not lower its guard despite their GCQ status.
“Still ang desisyon sang provincial government nga indi man gihapon magbaton sang leisure activities and tourism purposes kay ti ang amon (COVID-19) active cases subong sobra pa 100,” said Gando.
WV STILL ‘AREA OF CONCERN’
Meanwhile, Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau director Alethea De Guzman said the healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) in Western Visayas remained at high to critical risk.
“Region 6 remains an area of concern since six out of the eight areas po nila ay mayroong high to critical HCUR or intensive care unit (ICU) utilization rates,” De Guzman said during yesterday’s Palace virtual presser.
“Naka-classify po ngayon as high risk (ang Region 6) dahil sila po ay nagpakita ng positive two-week growth rate, ang kanila pong average attack rate din ay pula, meaning po, nasa high risk po siya,” she added./PN
