The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases has placed Iloilo City under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from September 25 to October 9, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said on Thursday.
Roque said, “the more stringent community quarantine designation was made upon the request of the local government unit of Iloilo City, “citing the sudden increase of confirmed cases in their jurisdiction.”
Roque also said that IATF Resolution No. 74 also stated that facility-based isolation was now required for asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 cases across the country.
Experts from the University of the Philippines earlier urged the government to place Bacolod, Iligan, and Iloilo City under MECQ due to a rising number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
Bacolod, Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Batangas are currently under the more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ) until September 30.
The Philippines has logged 296,755 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday afternoon.
The IATF also confirmed that Boracay Island may begin accepting tourists from areas that are under GCQ or modified GCQ.