The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) enumerated Monday, August 2, the businesses and activities that remain accessible to the public in Metro Manila and areas placed under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), a move the government deemed necessary to prevent the spike of the far more dangerous coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) Delta.
DILG spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said among those who will be allowed to go out are those who are scheduled for vaccination, those who would avail of essential foods and services, and those who are working on companies and businesses that are allowed to operate under the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
Metro Manila will be under ECQ from August 6 to 20.
Those which will be allowed to operate on 100 percent capacity are hospitals, health emergencies, companies engaged in manufacturing medicine and vitamins, industries involved in crops and vegetables, logistics and service providers like food deliveries, essential priority construction projects, manufacturing of essential goods, essential food establishments like convenience stores and markets and pharmacies.
The DIL chief stressed that one of the objectives of the ECQ is to shut down people’s mobility to cut the chain of COVID-19 transmission where the virus will be incubated and die a natural death.
Malaya pointed out that there will be quarantine control points (QCP), law enforcement checkpoints in the National Capital Region (NCR) and all other areas placed under ECQ.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque earlier announced that President Duterte has placed Metro Manila under the most restrictive ECQ mode for two weeks with the rise of the COVID-19 Delta variant cases in the country.
Malaya said that other industries are operational in 50 percent capacity or onsite skeletal workforce while others remain totally closed. (Chito A. Chavez)