BULACAN Governor Daniel Fernando appealed to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to place Bulacan under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) category after a low rate of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases was already recorded in the province.
The governor called for the province to be placed under MGCQ due to the continuing decline of COVID cases wherein the province’s present quarantine level was extended under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
According to Fernando, based on updated data from the Provincial Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the Provincial Health Office (PHO)-Public Health, Bulacan’s recovery rate as of October 13, 2021 is at 97 percent or 77,862 recovered COVID-19 cases out of 80,096 confirmed cases.
He said that many Bulakenyos are begging to open their businesses that have been severely affected by the MECQ quarantine category.
It was learned that Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that the provinces of Bataan and Bulacan will remain in MECQ from October 16 to 31.
Tarlac was still at General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from October 16-31 while the provinces of Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Zambales and the cities of Angeles and Olongapo were at MGCQ.
Fernando said that from 360 to 405 daily average cases from August to September, it dropped by 133 or 64 percent this October.
He said that 58 percent of Bulakenyos have been vaccinated, of which more than 8,000 or 31 percent have received the first dose and more than 7,000 or 27 percent have received their second dose.
“Kumpiyansa ako na malalagpasan pa ang pinakamababang naitalang kaso last year December 2020 na nasa mahigit 500 cases. By December hopefully ay mag-flatline na ang COVID cases sa Bulacan para naman maging masaya ang darating na Pasko,” Fernando said.
According to Provincial Task Force Response Cluster Head Dr. Hjordis Marushka Celis, there are now 895 active COVID-19 cases in Bulacan, of which 143 are confined in hospitals, 257 are in the quarantine facilities and 495 are home quarantined.