President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown of Davao City is placed under general community quarantine effective immediately until November 30 following the rise of coronavirus cases in the city, Malacañang said on Friday.

The decision was reached following the recommendation of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer during a meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Thursday, November 19.

Prior to placing Davao City under GCQ, it was under modified general community quarantine, the most relaxed quarantine classification.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a statement, said Melquiades Feliciano, Deputy Chief Implementer of the NTF Against COVID-19 for the Cities and Bacolod and Cebu, has been assigned to head the Coordinated Operations to Defeat the Epidemic teams that will be deployed in Davao City to assist in the response activities.

"A One Hospital Command Center will likewise be established in the city to ensure an efficient referral system as private hospitals are mandated to increase their ward bed occupancy by at least 20% to 30%," he said.

Roque said efforts will also be made to address the shortage of nurses in health facilities and to provide additional high-oxygen cannulae, Favipiravir (Avigan), Remdesivir, medical equipment, among others.

Accommodation establishments will be tapped to serve as quarantine facilities for health workers as well as the isolation of positive cases of COVID-19, he said.

"Law enforcement agencies are directed to assist in the enforcement of granular lockdowns upon affected communities or clusters, and if necessary, deploy personnel in the city," said Roque, who is also the spokesman of the IATF.

As of November 19, Department of Health Davao Center for Health Development reported a total of 5,520 COVID-19 cases in Davao City, with 1,874 active cases, 3,401 recoveries, and 245 deaths. Celerina Monte/DMS