‘CONFUSION AND MAYHEM’: After several flip-flops, Iloilo City back to ECQ status

By Emme Rose Santiagudo 

From ECQ to GCQ to ESQ

After several flip-flops this week on the status of Iloilo City, the National Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (NIATFMEID) resolved on Thursday that the city will remain under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15, 2020.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that Iloilo City will remain under extended ECQ alongside Iloilo province and Bacolod City because of the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

This is the second time this week that the national task force flip-flopped on the quarantine status of the city.

On Tuesday, Roque said the ECQ in both Iloilo City and province is extended to May 15.

The following day, the task force said that the city can downgrade its quarantine status to the more “relaxed” general community quarantine (GCQ) beginning May 1.

The turn of events confused the public and even local officials.

“The turn of events has created confusion for many of us. We were told to prepare for the guidelines of a GCQ to be implemented tomorrow but during a press conference today, Sec. Roque declared Iloilo City to be under ECQ, in contrary to the first recommendation,” Mayor Jerry Treñas said on Thursday.

In a radio interview, Treñas said Roque called him twice on Thursday morning informing him about the quarantine status of the city.

“Kagina nagtawag si Roque, ECQ kuno kita. Hambal ko sige wala ta may maubra. Ikaduha nagtawag naman siya before sa amon press conference GCQ naman kuno, hambal ko okay lang. Teh subong nag-announce naman siya ESQ (ECQ),” he said in apparent sarcasm.

ESQ refers to the branding of a popular rhum product.

Despite the flip-flopping declarations of the national task force, Treñas said the city government will abide by its recommendation.

“The sudden change of decision may have caused various reactions from the people, some are happy, some are disappointed, but let us understand that the decision came from the national government. Sige lang batunon ta lang kon ano, bantayan ta lang, preparahan ta na lang ang pagabot sang tiyempo nga ma-GCQ kita,” he said.

As of Friday, Iloilo City has nine COVID-19 cases with two recoveries and one death.

Treñas said the two latest cases in the city (WV Patient Nos. 63 and 66) are both personnel of the Iloilo City Emergency Response (ICER).

The mayor also announced that nine repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Iloilo City and Guimaras who arrived on Wednesday were positive in the rapid antibody test conducted by the city government.

Seven of the OFWs are from Iloilo City while two are from Guimaras. The city government is still waiting for the results of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test of the OFWs.

According to the mayor, the recent developments in the city indicate that the city will have to move slowly towards the “new normal” because of the increase in positive cases.

“As we start opening, we will see more positive cases. We have to move slowly to the new normal. As we test may positive, so kinahanglan prepared aton isolation and quarantine centers,” he said.

Treñas appealed for cooperation from the public as he is also hoping that the national IATF will no longer retract their decision.

“I hope that this is now the final decision of the national IATF so we can move forward and continue with our plans and initiatives in keeping every Ilonggo safe and secured. Lives are at stake here. We have to go and move slowly to the new normal basi indi kita prepared,” he said.