By Genalyn Kabiling
Except for three high-risk areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the entire country will be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) starting Saturday, May 16, in a bid to stem the spread of the new coronavirus disease, Malacañang said Thursday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr.(CAMILLE ANTE / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has issued Resolution No. 35-A placing several low-risk provinces and cities under the more relaxed GCQ.
The task force has amended an earlier decision to lift the community quarantine in these low-risk places after concerned local government executives appealed for the sustained quarantine regulations.
“Nag-issue ang IATF ng amendments sa Resolution No. 35, na simula sa Mayo 16, ang mga probinsya, highly urbanized cities, independent component cities na classified as low-risk areas ay mapapasailalim pa rin sa General Community Quarantine (The IATF issued amendments to Resolution No. 35 that beginning May 16, the provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities classified as low-risk areas will be placed under General Community Quarantine),” Roque said in a virtual press briefing.
“Lahat ng parte ng Pilipinas ay nasa ilalim ng general community quarantine maliban sa Metro Manila, probinsya ng Laguna at sa siyudad ng Cebu na mapapasailalim sa modified ECQ (All parts of the Philippines will be under general community quarantine, except for Metro Manila, Laguna, and Cebu City which will be under modified ECQ),” he said.
Roque said the task force screening and validation committee will also look into the appeals of some areas to reconsider their quarantine classification.
He noted that Pampanga and Bulacan have appealed for their inclusion in the list of areas under modified ECQ. Laguna, on the other hand, has appealed for its classification under general community quarantine.
Two months since the strict lockdown that hurt the local economy, the government has decided to gradually ease the quarantine restrictions in some areas but will still impose minimum health protocols. President Duterte asserted that the health precautions such as wearing of face mask and physical distancing must be observed, saying the country cannot afford a second or third wave of the “very lethal” coronavirus infections.
Metro Manila and two oth - er high-risk areas will shift to a modified ECQ from May 16 to May 31, allowing partial operations of more businesses and limited outdoor exercises. Public transportation, how - ever, is still prohibited from resuming operations for the meantime.
Areas with moderate risk of coronavirus spread, on the other hand, will be placed un - der GCQ. The government al - lows public transportation to operate in reduced capacity.
Barbershops, gyms, the - aters, libraries, tourism ac - tivities, and kid amusement industries, however, will remain prohibited during the quarantine period.
The task force also originally decided to remove the low-risk areas under community quarantine as part of moves to relax the lockdown measures.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, however, announced last Wednesday that the lowrisk areas, including eight regions, 37 provinces, and 11 cities, will be placed instead under “modified GCQ.” He said many governors and mayors have requested not to remove their places under community quarantine to help contain the outbreak.