ECQ opportunity for Cebu City to improve Covid-19 response: DILG

The national government decided to place Cebu City back to ECQ due to the consistent case doubling time of less than seven days and a significant rise in critical care utilization against critical care capacity. (Pexels photo)

MANILA – The move to revert Cebu City to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is not a form of punishment but a chance to intensify response efforts to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Wednesday.

“Hindi ito pagpaparusa sa mga taga-Cebu City, ito ay para mabigyan ng pagkakataon na makapag-contact tracing, makapag-testing tayo at mailagay natin sa quarantine ang lahat ng tao (This is not a punishment to Cebu City residents, it is to give them a chance for the conduct of contact tracing, to undergo test and put everyone in quarantine),” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a television interview.

The national government decided to place Cebu City back to ECQ due to the consistent case doubling time of less than seven days and a significant rise in critical care utilization against critical care capacity.

Talisay City, a component city under the province of Cebu, is placed under modified ECQ until June 30 for the same reason.

Año said that he already talked to Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella and assured him that the police would assist in enforcing ECQ anew in the city.

He added that hospitals in Cebu City are already complaining about their current condition.

Año also pointed out that new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases came from Cebu City and Metro Manila.

“The current situation in Cebu City is really difficult. In fact, new cases are coming from the National Capital Region and Cebu City for the last two weeks. Some 576 new cases are being reported,” he added.

The DILG, however, assured that the government is prepared to assist residents who might be displaced from work due to ECQ.

Under ECQ rules, public transportation is suspended, non-essential establishments and businesses are closed and non-essential travels are prohibited.