Cebu City may stay under ECQ, says NTF spokesman

July 15, 2020

Cebu City is likely to remain under the enhanced community quarantine, an official said on Wednesday.

"Cebu is most likely to stay at ECQ because the supporting data does not support further easing," said retired general Restituto Padilla, spokesperson of the National Task Force Against COVID-19, in a text message.

President Rodrigo Duterte is set to announce later today the new quarantine classification of the different provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities following the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"We have to put premium on saving lives, stabilization of the health system and the environment," Padilla said.

"The change in people's behavior needs to come about to bring this disease under control," he added.

Cebu City has been under ECQ, the most restrictive quarantine classification, since June 16 due to high number of COVID-19 cases and critical care utilization rate.

As of July 14, Cebu City has 6,210 coronavirus cases. Celerina Monte/DMS