The city of Candon and three towns in Ilocos Sur are back to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status for two weeks starting Friday (October 22) to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In a public advisory in the official Facebook page of Governor Ryan Luis V. Singson, it said that movement restrictions are again in place in Candon City as well as in the municipalities of Narvacan, San Emilio, and Galimuyod after most of the current 1,743 active cases in the province were traced in these areas.
“All other local government units will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions until October 31,” the advisory said.
Since October 18, the entire province has been placed under the least restrictive quarantine classification but due to the presence of the new Covid-19 variants particularly in the said four local government units, it again escalated to MECQ.
While under MECQ, only essential travels are permitted and government authorities will be monitoring checkpoints. For returning residents, the Ilocos Sur government still requires them to present a negative result of antigen test within 24 hours before entry.
Prior coordination with the local government unit of destination is still a must. To conform with the Department of Health regulation, saliva test can be used as an alternative specimen for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test and shall be a valid test if taken within 72 hours upon entry at the border.
Minors below three years old shall be exempted from the testing requirement, the advisory said.
In a public statement, the governor appealed to all residents to do their share in preventing Covid-19 by adhering to minimum health protocols.
Source: Philippines News Agency
