Governor Art Yap on Friday bared the possibility of placing Bohol under the stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine or General Community Quarantine if the number of COVID-19 infections in the province continues to rise.

“Posibli na. Dili layo ang posibilidad na mo balik kita sa GCQ or MECQ kung dili mausab ang dagan sa atong impeksyon,” Yap said during his weekly virtual press briefer.

According to Yap, he will not hesitate to appeal to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to reevaluate and intensify Bohol’s quarantine status if hospitals remain at near-full capacity.

The province is currently under MGCQ, the least restrictive quarantine level.

Yap reported that Bohol’s lone tertiary hospital, the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) and all four Level II hospitals had an occupancy rate of 90 percent.

“Bisan sa padayong pag-os os sa atong aktubong kaso, ang critical care utilization rate nagpabilin nga naa sa critical level. Buot pasabot, ang atong mga tambalanan puno-puno gihapon tungod sa mga COVID-19 patients,” Yap said.

Meanwhile, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Bohol was at 860 as of Thursday. (R. Tutas)

Yap attributed the rise in COVID-19 cases in Bohol to home quarantining of COVID-19-stricken individuals, which has already been prohibited by the chief executive.

The governor earlier ordered all local government units to activate their Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities which will serve as isolation center for infected individuals who do not need hospitalization.

However, based on data from the Capitol, 39 percent of COVID-19 patients were undergoing home quarantine as of August 2, 2021.

“Thirty-nine percent sa atoang mga aktibong kaso ang anaa gihapon sa home isolation, kini ang kinahanglan na sulbaron nato,” he said. (R. Tutas)