IATF eyes ECQ in Calabarzon

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is considering placing Calabarzon under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said yesterday.

At a House hearing on the government’s pandemic response, Duque said the IATF would meet today to discuss the matter.

“There has been a recommendation,” Duque said. “This is still for consideration by the IATF.”

He said the decision would be based on the latest COVID-19 data in the region and projections by experts.

Duque said the IATF would decide whether to place the entire region or select provinces under the strictest quarantine classification.

Government data shows an uptick of infections in Calabarzon, where 28 cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant has been recorded. Only one Delta case in the region remains active.

Cavite, Rizal, Laguna and the city of Lucena are currently under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions. Batangas and Quezon are under GCQ.

Ilocos Norte bars ROFs, LSIs

In Ilocos Norte, the regional IATF approved the suspension of the arrival of returning overseas Filipinos and locally stranded individuals from Aug. 3 to 15 to help manage the situation in the province.

The cities of Laoag and Batac as well as Pagudpud town are under ECQ while Bacarra, Badoc, Pinili and Burgos are under GCQ. The rest of the province is under modified ECQ.

As of Tuesday, the province logged 379 active cases and five deaths.

The province recorded 3,657 active cases.

Among those infected are 86 health workers at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac, a major COVID-19 facility in the province.

At least 121 COVID patients were confined in the hospital on Tuesday.

In Pangasinan, Mayor Nonato Abrenica of Villasis town placed Barangay Unzad under ECQ until Aug. 17.