The government is ready to “rectify its oversight’ and will soon allow at least 30 percent capacity for religious gatherings in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ), Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said on Tuesday, May 18.
Guevarra made the assurance after learning that the capacity has remained at 10 percent based on the latest resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) that downgraded to GCQ several areas including Metro Manila.
“It was just a case of plain oversight, I believe,” admitted Guevarra when asked on the IATF resolution that maintained a 10 percent capacity in religious gatherings in GCQ areas.
“The TWG (technical working group) of the IATF will review the resolution and submit its recommendation to the IATF at its next meeting. I believe that this oversight will promptly be rectified,” he said.
The “oversight” was brought to the attention of the IATF by certain church groups and some Metro Manila mayors, he added.
“In the latest resolution de-escalating the NCR+ to GCQ, the maximum capacity for religious gatherings was still pegged at 10 percent, but the flexible clause was omitted, thus making religious gatherings ‘worse off’ than previously,” he noted.
He said that in areas under the less restrictive modified GCQ (MGCQ), the capacity in religious gatherings is at 50 percent.
The National Capital Region (NCR) and other provinces and cities have been placed under GCQ from May 15 until May 31.