Tuguegarao City under 10-day ECQ due to COVID-19 surge

Tuguegarao City is placed under a 10-day enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting January 20 due to a significant surge in COVID-19 cases.

The ECQ, approved by the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force upon the request of Mayor Jefferson Soriano, may be extended until February 3 if cases continue to rise.

City officials recorded at least 21 new infections daily in the past week, contributing to a total of 246 cases as of January 18.

The Cagayan provincial government began aggressive community PCR testing in Tuguegarao and nearby municipalities, aiming to test 3,000 individuals by January 22.

This measure follows a concern from Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba that the initial 10-day ECQ might not be sufficient to curb the infections, as Tuguegarao accounts for a significant portion of the province's total cases.