EIGHT towns and three component cities in Cebu Province have been placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) with heightened restrictions starting Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021 due to their increasing number of active Covid-19 cases.
The Cebu Provincial Government has placed the towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Cordova, Minglanilla, Sibonga, Samboan, Argao and Oslob and the cities of Talisay, Naga and Carcar under MECQ after the mayors of these local government units (LGUs) met with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
Though not part of the list of LGUs placed under MECQ, San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya said she will adopt the same MECQ status for her town as it is located in between the cities of Naga and Carcar, which both have rising Covid cases.
The rest of Cebu Province remains under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions from Aug. 1 to 15.
In an executive order (EO) issued Tuesday night, Garcia prohibited the operation of non-essential establishments in the 11 LGUs now under MECQ such as karaoke bars, internet cafes, amusement parks, gyms, arcades, sport courts, casinos, outdoor tourist attractions, beauty salons, massage therapy and other personal care services.
Home service for these activities are also not permitted.
Prohibitions
Indoor dine-in services of food preparation establishments such as commissaries, restaurants and eateries are likewise prohibited.
“The movement of all persons shall be limited to accessing goods and services from permitted establishments, for work in such establishments, or for such other activities allowed,” stated Garcia’s EO No. 38.
“Any person below 15 years old, those who are over 65 years old, those with immunodeficiency, comorbidity, or other health risks, and pregnant women shall be required to remain in their residences at all times, except for obtaining essential goods and services, or for work in essential industries and offices,” Garcia further said.
All public utility vehicles (PUV) will be allowed to operate within the 11 MECQ areas, provided they observe the guidelines defined under Executive Order No. 35-B.
All air-conditioned PUVs that cannot fully open their windows are required to install air purifiers with hepa filters proportionate to the area of the PUV.
A 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in all areas reclassified under MECQ has been declared.
Gatherings outside of residences will be prohibited as well as gatherings at residences with any person outside of one’s immediate household.
Only gatherings that are essential for the provision of health services, government services, or humanitarian activities authorized by the appropriate government agency or instrumentality will be allowed.
Religious services
Religious gatherings will be allowed up to 10 percent of the venue capacity, provided that the local government unit concerned may increase the said gathering to 30 percent of venue capacity.
Gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than Covid-19 shall be allowed but limited to immediate family members, upon satisfactory proof of their relationship with the deceased and with full compliance with the prescribed minimum public health standards.
Only hotels or accommodation establishments with valid Department of Tourism (DOT) accreditations will be allowed to accommodate guests and clients.
Guests and clients will only be accepted if they are able to present a negative RT-PCR test result taken within the last 72 hours; or a negative antigen test result taken within the last 48 hours. The Cebu Provincial Government will set up a Rapid Antigen Testing Center at the Capitol, Garcia said.
All persons entering the province through any of the ports of entry in areas under MECQ and through the port of San Fernando will be required to present a negative RT-PCR test result taken within the last 72 hours; or a negative antigen test result taken within the last 48 hours.
Health regimen
Garcia encouraged all persons within MECQ areas to boost their immune system by drinking the following: eight to 12 glasses of water a day, warm turmeric tea mixed with calamansi twice daily, and freshly squeezed calamansi juice twice a day.
“Sleep at least eight hours a day,
maintain a healthy and balanced diet, exercise or stay under the sun for at least 30 minutes a day, when needed, perform steam inhalation twice daily, regularly take vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B Complex and Zinc, avail or install air purification, disinfection, sterilization systems or devices in homes,” Garcia said.
Covid tally
The Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH 7) has recorded 4,447 active cases of Covid-19 in Cebu Province as of Aug. 8.
Based on the DOH 7 records, Barangay Yati, Liloan recorded the highest number of Covid cases in the province with 520 cases followed by Dumlog, Talisay (394); Casili, Consolacion (308); Linao, Minglanilla (304); Tayud, Consolacion (302); Tungkil, Minglanilla (301); Bulacao, Talisay (268); Cansojong, Talisay (261); Tunghaan, Minglanilla (257); and Pakigne, Minglanilla (246).
However, Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco issued a statement reacting to the said data posted on the SunStar Cebu Facebook page.
“Our total number of cases of Brgy. Yati is only 74. Our total active cases for the entire Liloan is 269. From what was published on the SunStar page, it makes it appear that 520 is the total number of active cases in Yati since in bold and in large text is indicated the total number of active cases,” Frasco said.
SunStar Cebu tried but failed to reach DOH 7 for clarification.
Meanwhile, quarantine hotels in Cebu have an occupancy rate of 70 to 80 percent, said Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) president Alfred Reyes.
There are currently 4,790 rooms allotted for the quarantine of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs). The rooms are from 53 properties.
“They are able to survive because they are already accepting OFWs and ROFs,” Reyes said.
Because of the MECQ status of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, hotels can only cater to guests on quarantine and not leisure.
Cebu Grand Hotel general manager Carlo Suarez said their 45 rooms allocated for asymptomatic to mild Covid-19 positive persons are always fully booked.
“We have three nurses and two doctors who regularly check on our guests so they are assured they are being taken care of,” Suarez said.
The hotel’s doctors are Dr. Adrian Francis Sarita and Dr. Van Philip Baton.
In Lapu-Lapu City, the head of the city’s Covid response team Nigel Bañacia recommends a surgical lockdown to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.
Bañacia said households affected by a surgical lockdown will be given relief assistance by the City Government.
Bańacia appealed to individuals who may be experiencing Covid-19 symptoms to declare their ailment instead of hiding it so that proper remedies can be immediately undertaken.
“They should declare it early so that we can institute a lockdown in their home to prevent them from going out to contain the spread of the virus. Then we will swab them and start contact tracing after,” said Bañacia in Cebuano. (MVE, JOB, GCM)