Cebu City Downgraded Back to GCQ

President Rodrigo Duterte has announced the downgrade of the quarantine level in Cebu City from Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) to the more relaxed General Community Quarantine (GCQ) during his address to the nation on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) matters on the morning of July 31, 2020.

The downgrade from MECQ to GCQ comes as the hike in COVID-19 cases in the city continues to slow down. The Department of Health Region VII (DOH)-VII reported earlier that in comparison to June along with the first half of July’s COVID-19 case tally of 150 to 200 per day, Cebu City infections are now less than 100 cases a day.

Roy Cimatu took helm as the overseer of the COVID-19 response efforts in Cebu City amid the sudden spike in cases experienced in the short time that the first downgrade to GCQ took place.

Since then, the city has been placed back to Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the most restrictive quarantine status in the country.

The environment chief and Cebu City COVID-19 czar has since helped in the reduction of new cases with the imposition of stricter protocols and added help from the military and police forces in the quarantine efforts of the city.

As of July 30, 2020, Cebu City has 8,966 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 3,268 are active cases, according to the Department of Health Central Visayas Center for Health Development.

Cebu City was first placed on ECQ on March 28, 2020 as declared by Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella in his Executive Order no. 64.

Meanwhile, here are the newly assigned quarantine status for other COVID-19 affected areas. (GFB)