Laoag City to be placed under MECQ starting Friday, Nov. 27

Laoag City will be placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine starting Friday, November 27 amid the recent increase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the area, the local government announced Wednesday.

In an interview with “Quick Response Team” on Thursday, Mayor Michael Marcos Keon said the MECQ will last for two weeks starting Friday, November 27 to December 11.

“The modified enhanced community quarantine will begin tomorrow and it will last for two weeks hanggang December 11,” Keon said.

He said the city is following guidelines set by the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the acute daily attack rate and the two-week growth rate of COVID-19.

“Now, under the acute daily attack rate, its 3.1 percent and the two-week growth rate is 300.8 percent. This puts Laoag City on the high risk and this justified the government declaring Laoag City under MECQ,” Keon said.

Keon assured the public that they have a large contact tracing team and that they will conduct swab testing for up to 100 to 200 people daily.

“Because it’s being modified, most businesses will be allowed to operate, most businesses. However, there are businesses that cannot operate,” he said.

Businesses that will be prohibited from operating include night clubs, businesses that have alcoholic beverage, tourism industries, entertainment industries, gyms, libraries, amusement places for children, sports facilities.

“People will be undergoing home quarantine and each barangay will allow one person from each family to go out… in order to purchase food and medicine,” Keon said.

“We are not allowing any form of mass gathering. So no people beyond five can gather in one place at this time,” he added.

Keon said public transportation will be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity.

The city currently has a total of 90 confirmed cases. Meanwhile, Keon said there are 52 active cases.

“Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve had 88 active cases and that would usually occur once a week, maybe twice a week, maybe a couple of times a month. But all of a sudden in the last two weeks, we’ve had maraming kaso,” he said.

The local government earlier announced the closure of the Laoag City Public Market and Commercial Complex for three days starting today, November 26 after three fish vendors tested positive for the infection.

“The City Government found it necessary for the establishment to be closed temporarily for disinfection,” it said.—AOL, GMA News