Governor Daniel Fernando on Thursday advised his constituents to prepare for tighter restrictions as the province will be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) with localized lockdowns from Aug. 16 to 31.
Fernando said the measure is due to the continuous increase in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, including seven cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant.
He said the instructions of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) are expected to be stricter compared to the province’s current quarantine category of general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions until Aug. 15.
He also said 15 quarantine control points in all entry and exit points of Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Bulacan, two dedicated control points, and 12 quarantine control points at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) that have been established since the implementation of GCQ will be extended under the two-week MECQ.
Meanwhile, he said the power of implementing localized lockdown is up to the local government units (LGUs).
He also said the Bulacan Medical Center (BMC) and Bulacan Infectious Control Center (BICC), are now full of Covid-19 patients as well as in private hospitals in the province as the number of daily cases continues to increase.
Provincial Task Force Response Cluster head Dr. Hjordis Marushka Celis said out of the seven cases of Covid-19 Delta variant in the province, two were from the towns of Guiguinto and Plaridel that have been fully recovered while the five others are from the towns of San Ildefonso, Sta Maria, Pandi, City of Malolos and City of San Jose del Monte, who are still isolated in their respective quarantine facilities.
Fernando asked Bulakenyos not to be complacent and always take extra caution by complying with the minimum public health standards.
“Sobrang dami na ng transmission, puno na ang mga hospitals natin kaya doble ingat po tayo ngayon, mahalaga ang buhay, sumunod po tayo sa bagong tagubilin para sa ating kaligtasan (There are too many transmissions. Our hospitals are full, so be extra careful. Life is important, let us follow the new instructions for our protection,” Fernando said during his radio guesting in the mobile radio station of the National Youth Commission on Thursday.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Provincial Health Office reported a total of 48,543 Covid-19 cases, with 44,782 recoveries, 2,751 active cases and 1,010 deaths.
Source: Philippines News Agency
