Batanes reverted to MECQ

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines — The quarantine status for the island-province of Batanes was relaxed yesterday, 15 days after it was placed under the strictest enhanced community quarantine classification.

Meanwhile, the city government of Vigan in Ilocos Sur logged 59 new COVID cases, which included a two-week-old infant and an 11-month-old girl as well as three children aged one to three years.

Mayor Juan Carlo Medina announced the latest COVID cases in his jurisdiction in a post on social media on Sunday.

The regional inter-agency task force on COVID approved a recommendation of the provincial government to place Batanes under modified enhanced community quarantine from Oct. 5 to 15.

Data showed that Batanes logged 18 new infections on Monday, bringing the total number of active cases to 534.

From only 17 cases recorded from September 2020 to August 2021, the number of active infections on the island climbed to 648 in the past three weeks.

At least three of seven severe cases and a critical patient were airlifted to the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Tuguegarao for treatment on Sunday.

The CVMC earlier announced that it was willing to accept critical COVID patients from Batanes following reports that nine nurses and a doctor at the Batanes General Hospital tested positive for the virus.