The Albay Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Thursday announced that it has shifted the quarantine status of two cities and nine towns in Albay from general community quarantine (GCQ) to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status.
This developed after Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara on Wednesday issued Executive Order No. 23 placing the 15 towns and three cities under MGCQ effective July 16 due to the apparent decrease of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the province.
The order cited the Department of Health (DOH) Regional Case Bulletin on July 12 stating that the attack rate of Covid-19 in the province decreased by 57 percent and the recovery rate increased by 70 percent.
The localities placed earlier under GCQ and now MGCQ are the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco and the towns of Tiwi, Malinao, Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, Bacacay, Manito, Daraga, Camalig, and Oas.
These areas, according to the Albay IATF, have logged considerable spikes in Covid-19 cases in June.
The towns that remained under MGCQ are Rapu-Rapu, Jovelar, Guinobatan, Libon, Pioduran, and Polangui, and the city of Ligao.
Meanwhile, Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal on Wednesday lent to the Department of Health (DOH) regional office the ultralow temperature (ULT) freezer procured by the city government.
In a simple turnover ceremony, Rosal said the freezer could store and meet the required temperature by Pfizer and Sputnik V (Gamaleya) vaccines.
The freezer is said to provide temperature up to minus 99 degrees Celsius and store up to 140,000 vials of vaccines.
Ernie Vera, DOH regional director, said 2,400 doses of Sputnik V (Gamaleya) were delivered on Tuesday in the Bicol Region for pilot rollout in Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital and Legazpi City.
He said there are no allocations of Pfizer vaccines yet for Bicol.
Source: Philippines News Agency
