ILOILO – With the province retaining its modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. does not intend to impose a travel ban on residents of Iloilo City despite the metro regressing to GCQ.
There should be no restrictions to the movement of people between GCQ and MGCQ areas, according to Defensor.
He cited the omnibus guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
“Ang deperensya man lang sa [GCQ and MGCQ] amo ang hulag sang establishments. May diutay nga deperensya sa percentage sang operational capacity,” the governor explained.
Defensor also cited adverse economic repercussions of travel restrictions.
“Way kita sang limit or restriction sa inter-zonal travel kay ang economy sang province kag city isa lang. Dapat gid nga wala sang restriction,” he pointed out.
As of Aug. 16, Iloilo province had 614 confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, 242 of which were local cases and 372 were locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Iloilo City, on the other hand, recorded 649 cases – 539 were local and 110 were authorized person outside residence, LSIs and OFWs.
Both the province and city of Iloilo had been under varying levels of community quarantine since March – enhanced community quarantine, GCQ and MGCQ.
Malacañang announced Iloilo City’s GCQ status from Aug. 16 to 31 on Saturday. The rest of Western Visayas, on the other hand, remain under modified GCQ./PN
