ZAMBOANGA CITY - This city will remain under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the area, local officials said Friday.
Even though the city was allowed to shift to the relatively relaxed "general community quarantine," the local task force on COVID-19 said they chose to stay under ECQ due to the rising number of positive cases of the disease in recent days.
Under general community quarantine, some businesses and other establishments that were closed in ECQ to avoid contamination were allowed to operate.
Kenneth Beldua, an official of the Zamboanga City Task Force COVID-19, said the ECQ in the area will be in place until May 15.
It will depend on recommendations from health experts if the lockdown will remain or will be lifted after May 15.
On Thursday, the local government confirmed another new COVID-19 case, a 64-year-old woman who was admitted at the Zamboanga City Medical Center due to hypertension, diabetes and community-acquired pneumonia.
This brings the total number of cases in the city to 11.
As of Friday, the Philippines has logged 8,772 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 1,084 recoveries and 579 fatalities, according to the health department.
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