DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año clarified on Friday, June 19, 2020, that only Cebu City and not the entire Central Visayas was placed anew under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
"No, hindi ang entire Central Visayas, and Cebu City lang ang ECQ," he said in a radio interview in response to the confusion arising from a statement of Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
Vergeire, in her regular virtual briefing on Thursday, June 18, failed to distinguish between Cebu and Central Visayas. She also did not specify that Cebu City is different from Cebu province.
Cebu City is the capital of Cebu province. Central Visayas is composed of the island-provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Siquior as well as the province of Negros Oriental on Negros Island.
Vergeire's statement during the briefing was: "Ukol naman po si sitwasyon sa Cebu, nitong mga nakaraang araw ay meron po tayong observed na increase sa bilang ng mga kaso sa Region 7. Dahil dito, napagpasyahan po na pansamantala muna nating isailalim sa enhanced community quarantine ang lugar upang agad na mapigilan ang pagkalat ng sakit."
Based on this statement, a Manila-based newspaper erroneously reported that the entire Central Visayas has been placed under ECQ.
Resolution No. 46-A of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which was approved by President Rodrigo Duterte on June 15, placed Cebu City under ECQ and Talisay City, a component city under Cebu province, under modified ECQ.
The rest of Central Visayas is under general community quarantine (GCQ).
Año said the province of Bohol qualified for modified GCQ, which is the transition phase towards the new normal, but the local government wanted to be cautious and opted to stay under GCQ.
Vergeire, in a statement Friday, denied saying the entire region is under ECQ.
"We did not report this nor have we ever discussed the levels of community quarantine in the different areas of the country, as it is the function of a Presidential Spokesperson to do such," said Vergeire.
"Please be informed that the Province of Cebu, except for Cebu City (under ECQ) and Talisay (modified ECQ), is still under GCQ. Only the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has the authority to change and announce this kind of policies," she added.
Other areas under GCQ until June 30, 2020 are Metro Manila Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Santiago City in Region II; Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Tarlac, Olongapo City in Region III; Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon in Region IV-A, and Occidental Mindoro for Luzon, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City in Region VII in Visayas and Davao City and Zamboanga City in Mindanao.
The rest of the country remains under MGCQ until June 30.
Under ECQ, public transport systems are suspended and only essential businesses are allowed to operate. Only the workers of the permitted industries, frontliners and those with quarantine passes for the purpose of buying essentials are allowed to go out of their homes.
Under GCQ, almost all industries and public transport systems are allowed to operate at a limited capacity and provided that minimum health protocols such as wearing of face masks and observance of physical distancing are being implemented. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/VoxPop Philippines)