DOH clarifies: Region 7 still under GCQ, except Cebu City, Talisay

MANILA – The Department of Health had to issue a clarification on Friday morning that Region 7 or the province of Cebu is still under general community quarantine (GCQ).

“Ang Region 7 or the province of Cebu is still under GCQ, except for Cebu City, which is under ECQ and Talisay City, which is under modified ECQ,” Health Underscretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told media.

This, after online posts circulated that the whole region is under the stricter enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

“Meron pong kumakalat ngayon na balita na ako raw ay apparently nagsabi sa isang interview ba o kung saan, na sinabi ko daw na ang Region 7, the whole province of Cebu is now under ECQ. Wala pong katotohanan ang nasabing ito,” Vergeire said.

(There is new circulating that I supposedly said in an interview or elsewhere that Region 7, the whole province of Cebu is now under ECQ. There is no truth to that.)

“We do not have any authority para makapagbigay ng ganitong impormasyon. It is only the InterAgency Task Force and Spokesperson Harry Roque who can provide the general public with this kind of information,” she added.

Vergeire did not mention the source of the erroneous information but some netizens claimed that a news outlet misquoted Vergeire during Thursday’s media briefing. 

On Thursday, Vergeire talked about the increase of fresh COVID-19 cases in Region 7, based on the DOH case bulletin.

“Ukol sa sitwasyon sa Cebu. Itong mga nakaraang araw meron po tayong observed na increase sa bilang ng mga kaso sa Region 7. Dahil dito napagpasyahan po na pansamantalang muna nating isasailalim sa Enhanced Community Quarantine ang lugar para mapigilan ang pagkalat ng sakit,” she said then.

(About the situation in Cebu. These past days, we have observed an increase in cases in Region 7. This is why the government decided to put the area under enhanced community quarantine.)

Vergeire was merely referring to the IATF’s earlier announcement that Cebu City would be under ECQ, unlike the rest of the province and the region.

However, a now deleted online report translated Vergeire’s Filipino quote to “We have observed increase of COVID cases in Central Visayas so we have decided to place the region under enhanced community quarantine.”

The number of fresh COVID-19 cases from Region 7 has been up since a few weeks ago, reaching 273 on June 18.

Vergeire said they have already sent epidemiologists to Cebu City to study the reported clustering of cases in the area. She promised to release more information once the team is done with its report.

Source From:https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/19/20/doh-clarifies-region-7-still-under-gcq-except-cebu-city-talisay