Metro Manila Council (MMC) chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said Metro Manila mayors have recommended maintaining the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) for 30 days.
In an interview over DZBB on Monday, Olivarez said the mayors met with some Cabinet members Sunday night to express their recommendation.
“Pinagkaisahan po ng mga mayor na irerekomenda sa IATF (InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) na i-maintain po yung GCQ starting September 1. Pinag-uusapan po hindi 15 days, kundi 30 days (The mayors have agree to recommend to the IATF to maintain the GCQ status in Metro Manila starting September 1. We are not recommending 15 days, but 30 days),” Olivarez added.
The basis of their recommendation is to balance health and economy.
“Ang pinagbasehan po niyan yung pagbubukas natin ng ekonomiya na dahan-dahan, na hindi pwedeng i-compromise ang ating health protocol… hirap na hirap na po ang ating kababayan (The basis of the mayors’ recommendation is to enable the economy to open slowly without compromising health protocols because our countrymen are really struggling),” Olivarez said.
Localized or granular lockdowns would also be enforced in areas where there are clusters of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections.
Olivarez also said they are eyeing the implementation of a shortened curfew, which will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. President Duterte was expected to announce the new quarantine classification of Metro Manila and the rest of the country late Monday, August 31.