Iloilo City has reverted to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 following the spike in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this announcement after local officials sought to place the city under a stricter form of quarantine to contain the spread of the virus.

“This is to inform that Iloilo City has been placed under modified enhanced community quarantine effective September 25, 2020 until October 9, 2020,” Roque said in a statement.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said they logged a total of 73 new Covid-19 cases, of which 55 were acquired locally from an unknown source.

Lanao del Sur, Bacolod City, and Iligan City are also under MECQ until the end of the month.

Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Batangas and the city of Tacloban are under general community quarantine (GCQ).

The rest of the Philippines are placed under modified GCQ, the most relaxed quarantine classification.

As of Thursday, the number of confirmed Covid-10 cases rose to 296,755 after health authorities announced 2,180 new infections.

Covid-19 recoveries rose to 231,928 while the death toll climbed to 5,127.

Facility-based isolation

Roque, likewise, said that facility-based isolation will be required for confirmed asymptomatic and mild Covid-19 cases, except where the patient is considered vulnerable or having comorbidities.

Asymptomatic and mild Covid-19 cases whose home meets the conditions specified in the Department of Health and the Department of the Interior and Local Government Joint Administrative Order 2020-0001 will also be exempted.

Another exception, he said, would be when the Ligtas Covid-19 Centers within the region are fully occupied and the local government unit does not have sufficient isolation facilities. (PNA)