Angeles mayor wants city be put under modified ECQ

Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr., on Wednesday, May 13, asked the national government to place the city under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) instead of general community quarantine (GCQ) beginning May 16.

Lazatin cited there was an increase in the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in the city. Hence, he requested the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to include Angeles under the MECQ.

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The mayor sent letters to Health Secretary Francisco Duque and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles to formalize his request yesterday. 

The government announced Tuesday a modified enhanced community quarantine would be imposed in Metro Manila, Laguna province, and Cebu City from May 16 to May 31. 

As of this posting, Angeles City has only 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with no fatality, and four recoveries. 

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Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu also want modified ECQ

The cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu in Cebu province in Central Visayas also asked the IATF to include their localities under modified ECQ.

The task force has the sole authority to lift or impose ECQs in provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent cities, but provinces and towns may impose it in smaller areas.

As of May 13, Mandaue has a total of 99 cases, 2 deaths, and 3 recoveries while Lapu-Lapu has 58 confirmed cases, 1 fatality, and 14 recoveries.

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Talisay City, also in Cebu province, has requested the regional IATF to place the 3rd class city under ECQ.

As of this posting, the Philippines has recorded 11,618 cases (268 new cases), 771 deaths (21 added), and 2,251 recoveries.

Another wave of infections feared after lifting of community quarantines

Dr. John Wong, the epidemiologist of IATF earlier, warned that there could be a 3rd wave of coronavirus infections after the government lifts lockdown on May 15.

Wong said the first wave of the outbreak happened in January when the country first recorded its COVID-19 cases, which are all Chinese nationals.

The second wave is the current coronavirus outbreak that already infected over 10,000 Filipinos and foreign nationals staying in the country.

Wong also said earlier, “the curve has already flattened” in the Philippines, noting that one of the indicators of this claim is the longer doubling time of new cases and COVID-19 deaths.