COVID quarantine classification for Metro Manila ready, says Roque


Malacañang said the recommendation of the government's pandemic task force was ready and that they were only waiting for the appeal of the metropolis's local chief executives.

(AFP / MANILA BULLETIN)

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement days before the existing general community quarantine (GCQ) with some restrictions being imposed in the National Capital Region (NCR) expires on July 15.

In his press briefing on Wednesday, July 14, Roque said the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases already had a recommendation but cannot announce it just yet.

"Meron na po (We have a recommendation) but the LGUs (local government units) were given until today to appeal so I am not at liberty to announce the final quarantine classification," he said.

"Kinakailangan the IATF will meet pa po (The IATF will still have to meet) to discuss the appeals," he added.

Roque said the further easing of restrictions will depend on the region's coronavirus (COVID-19) data.

"Let's just say that we will follow the established criteria of looking at the attack rates and health care utilization rate," he said.

Meanwhile, the Palace official said the government will continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases in NCR after the Department of Health (DOH) said it saw an uptick in cases in seven cities in Metro Manila.

The DOH said they saw the development in Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, and San Juan.

"Tinitignan po natin ang (We will monitor the) daily attack rate for the entire Metropolitan Manila as a geographical unit," Roque said.

To date, the Philippines has reported 1,481,660 COVID-19 cases with 26,092 deaths and 1,408,634 recoveries.