Governor places Cebu province under GCQ

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia placed the province of Cebu under the less strict general community quarantine (GCQ) starting Wednesday, September 8.

Garcia on Tuesday signed Executive Order No. 41, Series of 2021, which defined the guidelines and protocols for the GCQ to be observed by constituents in the Cebu province.

She issued the EO after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Monday placed Cebu City and Mandaue City under general community quarantine (GCQ) and maintained the GCQ with heightened restrictions risk classification status of Cebu province.

"Garcia stated that being contiguous in nature with the said cities and adopting the one Cebu policy, it is axiomatic that the Province of Cebu’s risk classification should also be upgraded to a General Community Quarantine status, as well as the 11 local government units previously placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ)," the Cebu provincial government said.

Under GCQ, restaurants and other dine-in establishments are allowed to operate at 50% venue capacity, while al fresco dining is allowed at 100% capacity.

Spas, salons, parlors and other personal establishments are also allowed at 50% capacity.

Tourist attractions and activities are also allowed to operate with strict adherence to EO No. 20 - A Series of 2020, and EO No. 13 series of 2021.

However, the following are still prohibited:

• Entertainment venues with live performers (karaoke bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, and cinemas)
• Recreational venues (internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues)
• Casinos horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops and other gaming establishments
• Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, scrimmages, games or activities.

Religious gatherings are allowed up to 50% of venue capacity, provided there is no objection from the local government unit where the religious gathering may take place.

Necrological services, wakes, inurnment and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 are allowed up to 30% of venue capacity.

The province of Cebu last week reported that the number of its active COVID-19 cases decreased from 5,015 on August 21, 2021 to 3,826 on August 31, 2021. 

—Jamil Santos/KG, GMA News