President Duterte is expected to announce Monday night, June 14, the new quarantine status of National Capital Region (NCR) Plus and other areas for the rest of the month.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President will address the nation and announce his decision on the new quarantine classification of several places in the country. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is expected to finalize its recommendation and submit a report to the President.
Roque, in the press briefing, said Metro Manila and the four nearby provinces would likely shift to the ordinary general community quarantine (GCQ) that will ease movement restrictions. He noted that the NCR Plus has seen a drop in coronavirus cases as well as critical health care utilization rate in recent days.
"I have very serious doubts na magiging MGCQ (modified general community quarantine) 'yan. Is it likely na magiging regular GCQ? Most likely po pero antayin na lang natin (I have very serious doubts it will shift to MGCQ. is it likely to shift to regular GCQ? Most likely but let's wait for the decision)," he said during a televised press briefing Monday, June 14.
He noted that some local government units have appealed to place their areas under the stricter enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). The IATF is expected to review the appeal made by these local officials.
NCR Plus, composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal remained under GCQ until June 15 unless lifted or extended by the President. These areas has been placed under the stricter GCQ after undergoing restrictive lockdown last March due to the rapid surge in cases of coronavirus.
The areas placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from June 1 to 15 are the following: Santiago City, Isabela; Cagayan, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Puerto Princesa City, Iloilo City, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Cagayan de Oro City, Butuan City and Agusan del Sur.
Other parts of the country have been under varying community quarantine status until the end of June.