Bichara places Daraga, Legazpi under GCQ

By Mar S. Arguelles

THE Albay Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) has placed on Monday, May 31, Legazpi City and its neighboring town of Daraga under the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in these areas.

Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara, chairperson of the Albay IATF, issued Executive Order (EO) No. 14 placing Legazpi City and Daraga town on tighter community quarantine to curb the spread of the virus despite preventive measure already in placed in the areas.

Bichara said the decision to place Legazpi City and Daraga under GCQ was based on the Department of Health (DOH) report stating that these two areas have recorded the highest Covid-19 cases in Albay with these places posting a case incidence ranging from three to 72 cases in May this year.

Except for Legazpi City and Daraga, which are under GCQ from May 31 to June 14, the rest of the province’s two cities and 14 towns remain under MGCQ category.

Under the GCQ category, stricter health protocols are in placed such as the limited movement of persons except in accessing essential goods and services; persons below 18 years of age and those over 65 years of age and persons with comorbidities, pregnant women are required to stay at home except in buying essential goods and services.

All mass gatherings such as but not limited to religious gathering, necrological services, and visits to memorial parks including operation of all tourist destination are reduce to a maximum of 30 percent capacity.

All tourist destinations under MGCQ shall be permitted to operate at 50 percent capacity.