CABANATUAN CITY – The Central Luzon Inter-Agency Task Force has endorsed the request of Gov. Aurelio Umali to impose modified enhanced community quarantine instead of general community quarantine over Nueva Ecija.
In Resolution No. 1 Series of 2020 dated May 13, the RIATF endorsed the MECQ implementation in Nueva Ecija from May 16 to 31, 2020.
The resolution which also carried the request of other Central Luzon provinces and highly urbanized cities acknowledged the “validity of reasons cited by the provincial and HUC LCEs (local chief executives) in their requests for CQ implementation.”
The LCEs noted, among others, the high number of pending COVID 19 results, low percentage of tested cases and necessity for preparation or transition phase from ECQ to GCQ.
Recommended to be placed under MECQ aside from Nueva Ecija are Pampanga and Angeles City, while Bataan, Bulacan and Zambales will have extended ECQ.
The RIATF Resolution was signed by regional director Julie Daquioag of the Department of the Interior and Local Government as chair and regional director Cesar Cassion of the Department of Health as co-chair.
On Thursday, Gov. Aurelio Umali went public to confirm that he requested for an MECQ instead of GCQ upon consultation with mayors, hospitals and other sectors in the frontline of the battle against Covid-19.
“Ito po naman ay nang sa ganoon, tayo po ay magkaroon ng konting luwag pero huwag naman doon sa panahon na tayo po ay hindi pa nakasisiguro sapagkat hanggang sa ngayon po ay hindi pa nagagawa ang mass testing at hindi pa naimbento ang tinatawag nating gamot sa Covid-19,” the governor said.
Being under MECQ instead of GCQ, he added, will pave the way to prepare the community, government,and hospitals.
“Sapagkat importante po na suportahan natin ang ating mga ospital na ngayon po ang ating mga ospital ay halos naluluno na po ang kanilang kapasidad,” he stressed.
As of May 12, Nueva Ecija had recorded 47 Covid-19 positive cases from which three have died and 26 have fully recovered, according to the NEIATF.
