DAVAO CITY – Religious groups in Davao City may now hold church services from Mondays to Saturdays, as the city shifted to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) effective July 1 to 15, Mayor Sara Duterte said on Thursday.
During a live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5), Duterte said religious groups were already given the go signal to host religious activities, provided that they only accommodate churchgoers at a maximum of 50-percent of the venue’s seating capacity during ceremonies.
Duterte said the local government still prohibits church services on Sundays to lessen the number of people going out of their houses to slow the transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) since all establishments and offices have resumed operations under MGCQ, although some are operating with skeleton workforce.
“We can have at least one day to lessen to the barest minimum the possibility of transmitting the disease to other people because we are certain that when you go, there is that high risk that you can get infected,” she said.
She reminded churchgoers to observe physical distancing and to wear face masks during religious ceremonies.
Section 5 of the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines, updated as of June 25, provides that mass gatherings such as but not limited to, movie screenings, concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities, religious services, and work conferences shall be allowed provided that participants shall be limited to fifty percent (50%) of the seating or venue capacity.
The Omnibus Guidelines, however, did not prohibit the conduct of church services, and other mass gatherings, as defined in Section 5, on Sundays.
According to the Department of Health-Davao, Davao Region reported 534 COVID-19 cases: 416 in Davao City, 43 in Davao del Norte, 21 in Davao del Sur, 26 in Davao de Oro, 24 in Davao Oriental, and four in Davao Occidental as of June 30.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte has placed 16 areas in Mindanao, including Davao City and Zamboanga City, under MGCQ starting July 1 until July 15.
The Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao de Oro provinces remain under MGCQ.
Zamboanga City shifted to MGCQ from GCQ.
Still on extended MGCQ are Zamboanga del Sur in Zamboanga Peninsula, the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, and Cagayan de Oro in Northern Mindanao, the provinces of Cotabato and South Cotabato in Soccsksargen, Agusan del Norte and Butuan City in Caraga, and Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The rest of Mindanao is under the “low-risk type of MGCQ.”