Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos is in favor of downgrading the community quarantine classification of Metro Manila and its nearby provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan by May.
"I can't say that our cases have a significant decrease. However, I strongly sympathize with the plight of our constituents and the business sectors in terms of income generation," Abalos said in a viber message to Manila Bulletin.
"The economy must take its leap to help the community, and so I am in favor of NCR’s GCQ (General Community Quarantine) status by May," she added.
The Department of Health, OCTA Research Group, and groups of physicians and hospitals on the other hand are in favor of placing areas in the NCR Plus bubble under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) beyond April 30.
Health experts presented three options for NCR's quarantine status in May during their meeting with Metro manila mayors Sunday night:
- MECQ until the end of May;
- MECQ then shift to GCQ by May 15 or;
- Shift to GCQ starting May 1
As of April 25, Mandaluyong has recorded 1,184 active COVID-19 cases, 329 deaths, and 11,369 recoveries.