Ilagan City reverts to ECQ for 2 weeks

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, Philippines — Saying the imposition of modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ failed to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 in Ilagan City in Isabela, the city government has sought a shift to the strictest ECQ.

The Regional Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said the request for ECQ declaration, which was endorsed by Isabela Gov. Rodolfo Albano III, would be formally concurred in during a meeting of the IATF on Tuesday.

The IATF said the ECQ which was enforced at 8 p.m. last night is until Oct. 30.

Mayor Jose Marie Diaz and the city council sought the ECQ status during a multisectoral meeting held yesterday.

Ilagan accounted for 38 of the 49 cases in Isabela yesterday, said to be the highest recorded in the province in one day. The city logged 245 cases since Oct. 1.

Diaz noted that 42 of the 91 barangays in Ilagan reported community transmission.

Eight barangays were placed on lockdown when the city was under MECQ in the past two weeks.

As this developed, Diaz issued an executive order declaring Oct. 18 a day of prayer to seek Divine intervention on the COVID-19 pandemic.

In nearby Gamu town, a spike in confirmed cases prompted Mayor Nestor Uy to impose stricter quarantine rules in district 3 until Oct. 28.

23 Catarman b’gays locked down

Meanwhile, the municipal IATF in Catarman, Northern Samar yesterday locked down 23 barangays until Oct. 30 due to a spike in the number of confirmed cases.

Catarman Mayor Francisco Rosales said these are Barangays Acacia, Airport Village, Bangkerohan, Baybay, Calachuchi, Cawayan, Casoy, Dalakit, Ipil-ipil, Jose Abad Santos, Jose P. Rizal, Lapulapu, Macagtas, Mabolo, Molave, Narra, Sampaguita, Santol, Talisay, UEP Zone 1, UEP Zone 2, UEP Zone 3 and Yakal.

Seven police officers and several health workers are among the new cases.

In Pangasinan, the lockdown in Barangays Tebag West, Banaoang, Maticmatic and Ventinilla in Sta. Barbara was lifted on Thursday after a significant increase in the number of recoveries.

Mayor Joel delos Santos said 99 recoveries were recorded, bringing down the active cases to 34. – Miriam Desacada, Eva Visperas