Baguio City is also included in the extended ECQ.
Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque, Jr. during a press briefing on Tuesday, provided the comprehensive list of regions and provinces under the ECQ starting May 1 to 15.
Also included in the ECQ until May 15 are National Capital Region, Central Luzon except the province of Aurora, Region IV-A (Calabarzon), Province of Pangasinan, Iloilo, Cebu Province, Cebu City and Davao City.
The spokesperson added that areas not included in the list will be under general community quarantine (GQC).
Under the GCQ, provided that as a precaution, minimum health standards are achieved and continuously observed, all other low-risk and moderate risk areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
General community quarantine in low risk areas may be lifted after May 15 should no deterioration in their risk level occur.
Earlier in Benguet, as a result of the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force meeting, classes in the province were suspended until May 31.
As of 12 noon of April 28, there are 42 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the Cordillera Administrative Region according to the health department.
Covid-19 regional update breakdowns shows 29 in Baguio City, nine in Benguet, three in Abra and one in Ifugao. Apayao, Kalinga and Mt. Province remain Covid-19 free.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared a Luzon-wide ECQ which seeks to further combat the effect of the continuing and prevent increasing spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) which took effect on March 17 until April 12.
However, several areas in the country including Benguet, ECQ were extended until May 15.
Benguet together with 26 areas in the country were identified as high risk areas for Covid-19.
Earlier, University of the Philippines (UP) Covid-19 Pandemic Response Team also noted enforcement of modified quarantine for areas with high probability of Covid-19 outbreak.
According to the study obtained through epidemiological approaches in disease mapping, 16 provinces in the country namely Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon and Rizal, Cebu and Davao Del Sur have outbreak probability rates of over 90 percent.
The UP Covid-19 response team said ECQ should remain in the areas with 90 percent probability of an outbreak.
LAUREN ALIMONDO
April 28, 2020