DAVAO CITY – Davao City will be under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting June 5 to 20 as COVID-19 cases have risen to 1,655 since last week of May, which has “overwhelmed” hospital and treatment facilities.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio had earlier requested earlier the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emergency and Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) to place the city under MECQ with rising cases. Davao joins other cities in Mindanao such as Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Butuan with MECQ status,
Under MECQ, local businesses will be operating at 50 percent or half of its work personnel capacity. Work from home is encouraged. Other sectors such as banks, clinics, media and others are to observe this arrangement.
Travel will be limited for essential needs. Persons who are below 18 years old or over 65 years old, persons with comorbidities and pregnant women are required to stay at home except for obtaining essential goods and services.
The Davao City Information Office said that bed occupancy in the Southern Philippine Medical Center, the main center of COVID-19 car, is now in full capacity as well two other private hospitals that cater to COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Michelle Schlosser, Focal Person of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said she recommended to the mayor to declare MECQ status, as they recorded active cases in Davao City have already reached 1,655 cases.
Davao City Health Office head Dr. Ashley Lopez said that SPMC remains under “critical level” as ICU 77 beds are now fully occupied. Another 293 out of the 312 ward beds are also being occupied as SPMC serves patients from all areas of Mindanao. Schlosser added that the 1,300 beds in the city’s Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF) are getting overwhelmed.
Schlosser assured the public that despite the rise in COVID-19 cases, the city government has its contingency plan and hopes the MECQ will help in stopping the surge in cases.
“We still are preparing para mas… fully efficient po ang mabigay natin na service sa ating patient, (We still are preparing so that…. Our services will be fully efficient for the patients)” she said.
Dr. Lopez said the surge in cases could have come from returning residents who travelled by land that were not monitored, and from overseas workers. City Mayor Duterte mentioned that government activities were also contributing to the rise in COVID cases. The city recently opened incoming flights last May.
