Malacañang has announced the lifting of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental starting Friday, May 1st. In an announcement Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said both Provinces, along with several others, will be on General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
Roque said Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, along with Bohol and Siquijor provinces, are low-risk areas, and will be placed under a less stringent GCQ, which would further be relaxed to “normalization if there is no deterioration,” he said.
The National Capital Region, Region 3, Region 4-A, as well as other areas that have high incidences of CoViD-19 will remain under ECQ until May 15.
Benguet Pangasinan, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Albay, Catanduanes, Iloilo, Antique, Cebu, Davao del Norte and Davao City have been placed on an Extended Enhanced Community Quarantine until May 15.
Roque said President Duterte has yet to consider whether or not the country’s health system has established the minimum health standards for the people, along with its capacity to accommodate further increases in confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
The decision would also be based on the geographic risks of outbreak, age, and health risks, the essential sectors, and public transport, Roque said.
The President’s decision to ease restrictions in Negros was welcomed by Cong. Manuel “Chiquiting” Sagarbarria who said that under the ECQ, people were getting hungry and that it has not been good anymore for the community.
“We have to feed them. I had said earlier there should be some movement within the Province, by implementing a General Quarantine,” Congressman Sagarbarria said.
He noted that the common tao’s complaint these days is hunger. “How long can we last [like this under ECQ]? The working class [at least] has to go back to work,” he said. (AP)