The Bulacan Provincial Health Office (PHO) announced eight new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total cases to 147 with five recoveries.
This prompted Governor Daniel Fernando to request from the Department of Health (DOH) and Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for a 15-day Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
The PHO also reported that no additional COVID-19 related deaths which remained at 28 while five positive patients recovered from the disease, with a total of 57.
The PHO said new patients are a 33-year old male, a 20-year old male, and a 19-year old female, all from Marilao; a 40-year old male from Calumpit, and four from Baliwag town.
The five recovered cases of the dreaded disease were coming from the towns of Baliwag with 1 case, 2 cases from Calumpit, and 1 each from cities of Meycauayan and San Jose del Monte.
The PHO also reported the province had 1,364 active suspected cases with zero probable case. Fernando said the province had six towns, Angat, Hagonoy, DRT, Pulilan, Plaridel, and Bustos — that are now COVID-19 free.
“While the Cities of San Jose del Monte with 22 confirmed cases, Malolos with 17 and the town of Marilao with 17, are the top three places in the province with more Covid-19 cases,” Fernando said, During a press briefing on Thursday night, Fernando disclosed he has requested the IATF Region 3 Office for another 15-day extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the province along with other Central Luzon provinces-Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales and the highly-urbanized city of Angeles.
The letter of Fernando to the regional IATF stated that since Bulacan has considered as a moderate risk area and will be placed under general community quarantine effective May 16, 2020, requested the extension of ECQ until May 31, 2020.
“Taking into consideration the continuing transmission of the Covid-19, the continues mass swabbing and the risk of a second wave of infections, I urgently appealing to the National IATF to allow the province of Bulacan to extend the ECQ until May 31,” Fernando said.
The governor also reported that the regional IATF already approved the requests of Provincial,HUC and LGUs from GCQ to Modified ECQ but still waiting for a final decision until Friday coming from national IATF.
On Wednesday afternoon the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF) on Covid-19 in Central Luzon approved the request of the Central Luzon officials and recommended to the national IATF for Modified ECQ from GCQ.
The recommendation was approved based on the RIATF Resolution No. 1 Series of 2020 dated May 13, 2020 signed by Julie Daquioag, DILG Region 3 director and RIATF Chairperson and Cesar Cassio, DOH regional director and RIATF Co-Chairperson effective May 16 to May 31, 2020.
The RIATF acknowledges the validity of the reasons cited by the Provincial and Highly-Urbanized Cities-Local Chief Executives in their requests for community quarantine implementation, particularly the high number of Covid-19 test results pending; low percentage of tested cases and necessity for a preparation/ transition phase from ECQ to GCQ.
Gov. Fernando said that BUlacan has 746 pending test results and 1,320 cases for swabbing with a total of 2,046 cases.
In Angeles City, 2,371 individuals already underwent rapid tests, where probable cases, persons with exposure, and City Hall frontline workers were prioritized , Lazatin said.
Taking into consideration the continuing transmission of the Covid-19, the continues mass swabbing and the risk of a second wave of infections, I urgently appealing to the National IATF to allow the province of Bulacan to extend the ECQ until May 31,” Fernando said. The governor also reported that the regional IATF already approved the requests of Provincial,HUC and LGUs from GCQ to Modified ECQ but still waiting for a final decision until Friday coming from national IATF.
On Wednesday afternoon the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF) on Covid-19 in Central Luzon approved the request of the Central Luzon officials and recommended to the national IATF for Modified ECQ from GCQ.
The recommendation was approved based on the RIATF Resolution No. 1 Series of 2020 dated May 13, 2020 signed by Julie Daquioag, DILG Region 3 director and RIATF Chairperson and Cesar Cassio, DOH regional director and RIATF Co-Chairperson effective May 16 to May 31, 2020.
The RIATF acknowledges the validity of the reasons cited by the Provincial and Highly-Urbanized Cities-Local Chief Executives in their requests for community quarantine implementation, particularly the high number of Covid-19 test results pending; low percentage of tested cases and necessity for a preparation/ transition phase from ECQ to GCQ.Gov. Fernando said that BUlacan has 746 pending test results and 1,320 cases for swabbing with a total of 2,046 cases.
In Angeles City, 2,371 individuals already underwent rapid tests, where probable cases, persons with exposure, and City Hall frontline workers were prioritized , Lazatin said.
Lazatin said the City Government is seeking to ramp up the conduct of rapid mass testing to contain the virus.
“I am in constant coordination with the Philippine Red Cross, Provincial Government of Pampanga, and Department of Health to extend the City’s capabilities and resources to widen the conduct of rapid mass testing,” he added.