Ilocos Norte under MECQ due to COVID-19 surge

Ilocos Norte's quarantine status has been upgraded to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) effective September 8 until September 30.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced the shift from General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions to MECQ.

The province was placed under stricter quarantine measures due to a rise in COVID-19 infections.

Several towns in Ilocos Norte have already been under localized lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus.

Other areas also placed under MECQ include Apayao, Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Iloilo, Lucena City, Iloilo City, and Cagayan de Oro City.

This announcement comes as Metro Manila is set to be downgraded to regular GCQ starting September 8, with the pilot implementation of localized lockdowns.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) was scheduled to meet to finalize guidelines for these localized lockdowns.