Cebu City to appeal reclassification of ECQ status — mayor

Published Jun 16, 2020 5:51:58 PM

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 16)— The Cebu City government will appeal for a reclassification of the COVID-19 quarantine measure imposed in the area, its mayor said Tuesday.

In a press conference, Mayor Edgar Labella said he believes Cebu City— which was reverted to the stricter enhanced community quarantine— can be placed under more relaxed lockdown measures given the improvement in the city’s mortality rate.

“Today, I will appeal to the Inter-Agency Task Force to reconsider their decision based on the information we have gathered through the weeks,” Labella said.

“I still believe that a general community quarantine is justified. The data I see do not warrant restrictions set forth by an enhanced community quarantine, so to speak and with all due respect,” he added, citing low percentages of coronavirus-related deaths as well as a high recovery rate in the area.

However, Labella noted the local government will abide by and accept the final decision of the IATF and President Rodrigo Duterte, if they deem it best for the city to stay under ECQ.

GCQ and modified GCQ measures will continue to take effect in majority of the country, with Duterte approving the task force’s new recommended quarantine rules on Monday. Aside from Cebu City, Talisay— a component city under Cebu province— will also face tighter lockdown protocols, as it was placed under the modified ECQ until June 30.

Health officials said the move to escalate Cebu City’s quarantine status was due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and widespread community transmission in the area.

Malacanang— which labeled the development as “alarming”— also pointed out that the critical care capacity in the city is reaching “dangerous levels,” with some hospitals running out of beds for COVID-19 patients.

However, local officials assured they are working to expand healthcare capacities— including providing additional beds and hiring health workers for the COVID-19 fight.

‘Enforce strict border protocols’

With figures rising, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also advised the province of Cebu to enforce strict protocols along its borders— to avoid the spread of the infectious disease to other cities and municipalities.

“One good news though going for the Cebu province itself is that the numbers seem to be concentrated in Cebu City and Talisay right now; it hasn’t actually spread throughout the province,” Roque told CNN Philippines’ The Source earlier in the day.

“Which is why inter-city and province borders will have to be secured because we don’t want the cases to spread all over the province right now.”

Labella, for his part, promised to enforce tighter quarantine protocols around the city— with police, military, and barangay (village) officials manning the frontlines.

Talisay City decries ‘Incorrect data’

However, Talisay Mayor Samsam Gullas said he was surprised by the government’s decision to place the city under modified ECQ, when other places in Cebu province registered more cases but remain in a GCQ.

The city currently has 118 confirmed COVID-19 infections. Of this number, only 59 are active cases, after 43 recovered and 16 died.

According to Gullas, the data submitted by the regional health department to the IATF, which became the basis for the move to tighten restrictions, was incorrect.

“Today, I was told that the data given by DOH-7 was that I have no recoveries, so maybe that was a big reason why they decided to put [the city] in an MECQ,” he told CNN Philippines’ News.PH.

The mayor also noted a Facebook post by Dr. Tony Leachon, the special adviser to the National Task Force on COVID-19, which erroneously showed that Talisay City has zero recovered patients.

Gullas said he already pointed out the error and is hoping that the decision be reconsidered.

“For us, we’re really taking a step back,” he added. “But I talked to the governor, and I told her the details, so since [we] are a component city under the province of Cebu, the governor will have to concur if ever there will be an appeal.”

SOURCE: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/regional/2020/6/16/Cebu-City-to-appeal-ECQ-status-Mayor-Labella.html