LA TRINIDAD, Benguet: The provincial government has appealed to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), through Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd and Cabinet Secretary Carlo Alexei Nograles, to reclassify Benguet from the current modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status to a lower quarantine status after the MECQ's expiration on June 15, 2021.
In Resolution 2021-1160 signed by Gov. Melchor Diclas, senior board member Robert Namoro, author of the resolution, states that the local government continuously monitors and implements health standards and protocols, as well as information and education campaigns, in coordination with the municipal governments and other concerned agencies, and these initiatives have caused a significant reduction in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.
Namoro said given the proximity of various towns to Baguio City, residents from the municipalities now travel to the city, which is under general community quarantine (GCQ), to enjoy its various amenities, thereby depriving local businesses of their supposed income to sustain their operations from similar activities.
He added that the current MECQ status has greatly affected the province's economy and the mobility of the residents because business establishments and local transportation, among others, have a limited time of operation and are subjected to other restrictions such as the no-dine policy.
Earlier, the IATF declared Benguet under MECQ from June 1 to June 15, 2021, primarily because of a previous surge in Covid-19 cases and the inadequate health facilities and isolation units to cater to the needs of infected patients.
According to Namoro, Baguio City, geographically, is located within Benguet, bounded by the municipalities of Tuba, Itogon, Sablan and La Trinidad.
At present, he said, the province's average daily attack rate as of June 1, 2021 is 5.41 percent while the two-week daily growth rate as of June 2, 2021 is negative 41 percent.
Further, the province's health care utilization rate as of June 2, 2021 is approximately 60 percent while the case fatality rate as of June 2, 2021 is just 2.4 percent.
Health authorities also reported that the positivity rate as of June 1, 2021 is 10.86 percent and the vaccination status consumption as of June 2, 2021 is at least 91.59 percent.
Provincial officials said local businesses have suffered tremendous losses since the implementation of the Luzon-wide lockdown aggravated by the varying community quarantines being declared by the IATF.
Thus, Namoro said, Benguet province needs a lower community quarantine status to allow the economy to gradually recover to sustain the employment and economic activities of thousands of local residents.