‘Stricter’ GCQ for Iloilo City?

The national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) recommended placing Iloilo City under a stricter General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

This was confirmed by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas Monday after receiving information about the recommendation of the IATF on the quarantine status of the city over the weekend.

Despite the recommendation, the mayor said he will push for the city to remain under the more relaxed modified GCQ instead of the “stricter GCQ.”

Imposing the GCQ on the city would mean stricter movement of people which could affect businesses.

According to Treñas, he will send a written appeal to the IATF requesting that Iloilo City remain under Modified GCQ (MGCQ).

“Yes, ang rekomendasyon sang IATF, our siyudad will be placed to GCQ but we are going to make an appeal nga ipabilin lang kita sa MGCQ,” he said.

Treñas said he is confident that the city can contain and manage COVID-19 cases with its available facilities.

“Para sa akon, we will be able to contain everything, may facilities kita available,” he said.

He added that the city also has the capacity to do contact tracing efforts on confirmed cases in the metro.

As of Monday, Iloilo City has 41 COVID-19 cases with 11 active cases, 29 recoveries and one death.

Iloilo province recorded 43 infected repatriates.

This week, Qualimed Hospital in Iloilo City is the first private hospital to start operating as a COVID-19 testing laboratory.

It will augment the Western Visayas Medical Center-Sub National Laboratory (WVMC-SNL) in processing the specimens in Iloilo City and Panay Island.

Iloilo City was first placed under GCQ on May 16 until May 30, 2020 after it was classified as a medium-risk area for COVID-19.

The city and the rest of Western Visayas were then classified as “low-risk” areas and shifted to MGCQ on June 1. It was extended until July following IATF recommendation.

Based on previous guidelines of the national task force, residents are always required to observe minimum public health standards whether under GCQ or MGCQ.

In terms of movement of people, it will be limited to accessing essential goods and services under the GCQ whereas all persons, regardless of age and health status, are allowed outside their residence under the MGCQ. (ERS)