DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 June) – President Rodrigo R. Duterte extended the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) status of Davao City for another 10 days or until June 30.
Swab testing in Davao City. MindaNews file photo by MANMAN DEJETO
Aside from Davao City, other areas in Mindanao that would remain under MECQ are Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga del Norte in the Zamboanga Peninsula; Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao; and Butuan City, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Sur in Caraga.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement Monday that Davao del Norte will remain under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status while the rest of the provinces in the Davao Region will be under Modified GCQ (MGCQ) until the end of this month.
Other areas in Mindanao under GCQ are Iligan City in Northern Mindanao; General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, and South Cotabato in Soccsksargen; and Lanao del Sur and Cotabato City in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
From January 1 to June 14, DOH-Davao reported 21,373, including the 481 new cases recorded on Monday, as compared with 12,589 cases recorded from mid-March to December 31, 2020. Total cases in the region stood at 33,962 with 6,722 active, 26,08 recoveries, and 1,232 deaths.
Out of this total, Davao City, considered as the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic in Mindanao, reported 19,996 total cases as of June 14, with 3,477 active, 15,713 recoveries, and 806 deaths. Davao de Oro reported 2,564 cases, Davao del Norte with 6,412, Davao del Sur with 2,476, Davao Occidental with 415, and Davao Oriental with 2,099.
Davao City was placed under ECQ from April 4 to May 15, 2020; under GCQ from May 16 until June 30; and modified GCQ from July 1 to November 19. It reverted to GCQ on November 20, 2020 until the stricter MECQ status was implemented starting June 5 due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
