Quarantine passes have been cancelled in Cebu City as cases of the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19) continue to rise.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano, in an interview with dzMM on Wednesday, said it is necessary to limit movement of people as COVID-19 cases have reached 4,000 active cases.

''These cases continue to rise,'' added Ano.

The Department of Health said there are 4,160 cases in Cebu City, which makes it the biggest in Philippines.

He said that the same lockdown implemented in the National Capitol Region must be done in Cebu City.

''Only essential workers,like health workers, those involved in food production, utilities, frontliners,'' said Ano. ''The rest have to stay at home and follow the lockdown (rules).''

''If people in Cebu City do not follow this, then the situation may be like the last weeks in March at the NCR where cadaver bags were running out. We don't like to see this situation (in Cebu City),'' said Ano.

There are 250,000 quarantine passes in Cebu City, which its police chief, Col. Cedric Tamayo is too much. He said new quarantine passes will be issued.

The decision was made after Ano, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Environment Secretary Frank Cimatu and Carlito Galvez, National Task Force chief implementer met with Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella and Talisay Mayor Gerald Gullas Jr.

Labella, in his Facebook page, said ''this drastic measure ( of cancelling quarantine passes) was put in place after an Inter-Agency Task Force team went around the city earlier today and still found many people out of their homes.''

''This drastic measure was put in place after an Inter-Agency Task Force team went around the city earlier today and still found many people out of their homes. We will work to ease this transition as part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19,'' added Labella. DMS