MANILA – The enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Iloilo City would be extended until Aug. 15, while Iloilo province deescalates to the lighter modified ECQ until midmonth starting today (Aug. 6).
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement last night following President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-MEID) recommendation.
Prior to the latest IATF-MEID recommendation, Iloilo city and province were under the strictest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine classification.
For his part, Mayor Jerry Treñas said the city’s “hard lockdown” will only be up until Sunday, Aug. 8.
“After Sunday, we will go back to the usual ECQ,” said Treñas.
“Our (COVID-19) cases are going down but our hospitals are full…most of the patients (were) from the province (of Iloilo),” the mayor added. “Our ICUs (Intensive Care Units) are 70 percent full of patients from the province.”
“I pity the residents of the city. Patients from the province overwhelm our healthcare facilities and increase the healthcare facility rates,” Treñas said.
He hopes the rate of infection in the province will also go down./PN
