ILOILO CITY – This highly urbanized city (HUC) and the province of Iloilo will be on modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) effective June 16 until the end of the month as per Resolution No. 121 approved by the National Inter-Agency Task Force For the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) issued on June 14.
The province has been elevated to a stricter classification from its current modified general community quarantine status (MGCQ) due to surge in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The IATF, on the other hand, has retained the current MECQ status of Iloilo City. It was first placed under MECQ on May 23-31 and extended from June 1-15, 2021.
“We will not appeal but we will loosen up a bit to allow our affected sectors to survive,” said Jeck Conlu, spokesperson for the city COVID Team, in an interview Tuesday.
He said under the extended MECQ, the border control will be lifted and the quarantine pass is no longer required for people going out of their houses.
The curfew hour will still be in effect from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., while selling of liquor is already allowed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., drinking in public places is still prohibited.
Non-essential mass gathering is still disallowed but seating capacity for religious services will be increased from 10 percent to 30 percent. Wakes, however, will be limited only to three days.
Close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases will no longer be subjected to test unless they manifested symptoms otherwise they will just complete the 14 days quarantine.
The city will also reopen the Esplanade, playgrounds, and courts in all public plazas.
In the 10-page Executive Order No. 53, series of 2021 signed by Mayor Jerry P. Treñas Tuesday, to revive the city’s economy and address the fiscal needs of its constituents, he said more establishments will operate provided that the minimum public health protocols will be strictly followed at all times.
Still prohibited to operate are entertainment with live performances and recreation venues; amusement parks or theme parks; outdoor sports or venues for direct and indirect contact sports; indoor sports courts or venues, fitness gyms, spa or other leisure centers: casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits and other gaming establishments except for draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO); indoor and outdoor tourist attractions; venues for face-to-face meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE); and personal care services that include make-up salons, medical aesthetic clinics; massage therapy including sports therapy establishments that may entail the removal of face masks or face shields.
“All the rest of non-essential establishments will be allowed to operate but with a limited capacity of 30 percent,” he said.
Al-fresco dining will be allowed 30 percent seating capacity while 10 percent for dine-in.
Lawyer Jobert Peñaflorida, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Iloilo chapter, said that the numbers of infected persons merited the province and the city the MECQ classification.
He said IATF guidelines also allow certain industries and companies, even non-essentials to operate up to a certain percentage. There are those, however, that are strictly prohibited.
“We will support that because at the end of the day, our objective is not only to resume business but to provide livelihood and employment,” he said.
In a media interview on Tuesday, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said that while the province did not expect the adjusted classification, yet it is not surprising at all.
He said that it is good that the national government has recognized the situation of Iloilo thus, with the MECQ status, it is expected that the province will receive more vaccine allocations.
He said there will only be few adjustments that will be made because the provincial government has already put in place stricter measures such as limiting non-essential travels while the province is under MGCQ status.
“We have already adjusted ourselves. In the past, MGCQ protocols are not enough to maintain the MGCQ level so we made adjustments,” he said.
Iloilo province, as provided under Executive No.175 issued by Governor Defensor May 31 has mandated the implementation of municipal quarantine to prohibit non-essential travels from June 4 until June 18.
He also ordered the strict implementation of detection and reverse isolation measures as provided in Executive Order 155, series of 2021.
With the reverse isolation, vulnerable persons such as those 60 years old and above, pregnant women, those with comorbidity, and other health risks are to be isolated at the household level.
As of the June 14 regional cases bulletin, the province has 2,377 active cases, 6,994 recoveries, and 228 deaths.
Iloilo City has 2,734 active cases, 6,529 recoveries, and 231 deaths
Source: Philippines News Agency
