SAN JOSE, Antique – Gov. Rhodora Cadiao prefers that Antique remain under a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) until the end of January 2021 or until the national government has secured a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Antiqueños should not let their guard down yet, she stressed, and must continue observing public health safety protocols such as wearing facemask and face shield, proper hand washing, and observing physical distancing.
If Antique shifts to the “new normal” status, Cadiao said, people might become complacent and think that the COVID-19 pandemic is gone.
In Western Visayas, the provinces of Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Aklan and the highly urbanized city of Bacolod are under MGCQ until Dec. 31. Before the year ends, the government is expected to make an announcement on their quarantine status – either extend the more relaxed MGCQ, declare them under a “new normal”, or tighten further their quarantine measures.
Iloilo City, on the other hand, is under the stricter GCQ.
As of Dec. 27, Antique’s cumulative COVID-19 cases recorded since March hit 89 (six active, 82 recovered, and one dead).
These 89 cases were made up of local cases (54), returning overseas Filipinos (four), locally stranded individuals (13), and Antiqueño cases outside the province of Antique (18).
Meanwhile, Antique’s ssix active cases were the following:
* 54-year-old female from San Jose
* 38-year-old male from Sibalom
* 20-year old female from San Jose
* 30-year-old female from Sibalom
* 38-year old female from Bugasong
* 50-year-old male from San Jose
Among the areas in Western Visayas, Antique had the least number of active COVID-19 cases as of Dec. 27 – six.
Guimaras had nine; Capiz, 22; Aklan, 66; Bacolod City, 82; Iloilo City, 128; Iloilo province, 162; and Negros Occidental, 387./PN
