COVID-19

Cebu City’s MGCQ: Quarantine passes required, more people allowed in churches

Ryan Macasero

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Cebu City’s MGCQ: Quarantine passes required, more people allowed in churches

Cebu City main streets are back to normal with motorists as after General Community Quarantine (GCQ) is implemented in the City. Use of quarantine passes is still in effect to help the stop of spread of covid19 in the City. Photo by Gelo Litonjua/Rappler

Gelo Litonjua

Cebu City enters the least restrictive quarantine period after showing a sustained drop in the number of new coronavirus cases

Starting Tuesday, September 1, Cebu City, which once had the highest number of coronavirus cases among cities in the Philippines, was placed under the least restrictive quarantine status: modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

Under MGCQ, more businesses are allowed to open and capacity restrictions on certain establishments are eased as long as physical distancing and mask-wearing are still in place. 

This is the first time Cebu City was allowed to go under MGCQ since the beginning of the outbreak after consistently showing a drop in the number of new coronavirus cases since the end of July. 

According to the OCTA research group, cases dropped by 50% in mid-August, even while the city was under the stricter general community quarantine, and sustained this drop until the end of August.

What’s new under MGCQ?
  • Dine-in restaurants can now operate at 75% capacity
  • Gyms, sports facilities, tourism-related leisure businesses, massage parlors, and churches can operate at 50% capacity
  • People can travel back and forth freely from other towns and cities

Border checkpoints had previously been set up around Cebu City since March. These have been done away with.

What stays the same?

The EO, released by Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella on Tuesday afternoon, lists requirements that remain unchanged

  • Use of quarantine passes, which are coded according to pass number and date, to regulate the number of people
  • Coding schedule by last name for the Carbon wet market
  • Masks and face shields in public places like malls

As of Tuesday, September 1, there are 9,634 total positive cases in Cebu City. The number of active COVID-19 cases has already dropped to 635 after the city recorded 8,350 recoveries.

The number of cases in the Philippines is at 224,264. Of that total, 62,655 are active. – Rappler.com

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka

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Ryan Macasero

Ryan covers social welfare for Rappler. He started at Rappler as social media producer in 2013, and later took on various roles for the company: editor for the #BalikBayan section, correspondent in Cebu, and general assignments reporter in the Visayas region. He graduated from California State University, East Bay, with a degree in international studies and a minor in political science. Outside of work, Ryan performs spoken word poetry and loves attending local music gigs. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmacasero or drop him leads for stories at ryan.macasero@rappler.com