MORALE BOOSTER: MGCQ appeal meant to recognize Iloilo City’s efforts vs COVID

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the appeal to slide down from general community quarantine (GCQ) to the more permissive modified GCQ aims to boost the morale of the COVID-19 team who worked so hard to suppress infections in the city.

“I am doing this for the sake of the morale of the members of the Iloilo City COVID-19 Team who have tirelessly done everything to lower the transmission of COVID-19 in Iloilo City,” Treñas said.

The National Interagency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (NIATF-MEID), with the approval of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, retained Iloilo City under GCQ until Jan 31, 2021 while the rest of Western Visayas is under MGCQ.

Other areas that will remain under GCQ are Metro Manila, Batangas province, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Iligan, Isabela, Lanao del Sur, Santiago City, and Tacloban City.

Treñas said the city has managed to reduce new infections to single digits.

On Dec 29, the city only recorded 5 new cases,

Between November and December 2020, the total number of cases went down by almost 16 percent, from 316 to 266 while the daily average in new cases is down by 9.09 percent.

“We appealed our quarantine status in recognition of the efforts of our COVID-19 team. It would be unfair to them if we continue under GCQ despite our gains in reducing the cases,” he added.

But Treñas said sliding to a more lenient status does not mean that the city will also loosen its policies against the disease.

For one, the operations of resto bars and sale of liquor will still be heavily regulated. GCQ restrictions on funeral wakes and other forms of mass gatherings will also remain even if the city slides to MGCQ.

Earlier, Treñas said DILG Sec. Eduardo Año assured that the city’s appeal will be approved.

“Officially, I haven’t received anything, but you know, up to 1 a.m. in the morning, I have been texting with Secretary Año. He said he did not see any problem because Iloilo City has improved a lot. Compared to October and November, our cases went down,” Treñas said Tuesday.