Some movement restrictions will still be enforced in Metro Manila, Laguna, and Bataan to help promote "total health" even these places will be downgraded to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of the month.
According to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, the government will keep the ban on mass gatherings, prohibit indoor and outdoor dining, and restrict certain establishments such as barbershops, beauty salons, and gyms in the three areas to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Roque explained that the government "focused on targeted restrictions, limited non-essential activities and re-calibrated actions on specific high-risk activities."
After a two-week hard lockdown, Metro Manila and Laguna will deescalate to MECQ from August 21 to 31. MECQ will also be enforced in Bataan starting August 23 until the end of the month. The decision recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) was approved by President Duterte.
"Ginawa po itong desisyon na ito dahil ang gusto natin ay total health, mapababa ang numero ng COVID and at the same time malimitahan din iyong hanay ng mga nagugutom (The decision was made because we want total health -- bring down the number of COVID cases and at the same time limit the ranks of the hungry)," Roque said over government radio Friday, August 20.
Under the IATF Resolution No. 134, indoor and al fresco dine-in services, and personal care services including beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops, and nail spas shall not be allowed during the MECQ in NCR, Laguna and Bataan.
Pastors, priests, rabbis, imams, or other religious ministers and their assistants may conduct religious services performed through online video recording and transmission, necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals. They shall be allowed to move for such purposes.
Immediate family members of the deceased who died of causes other than coronavirus shall be allowed to attend the wake or interment of the deceased.
With the three places shifting to MECQ, Roque said more businesses will be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity on-site, meaning more people can physically return to work. But he strongly advised the public to continue to observe health protocols to stem the virus spread.
When ECQ was enforced, the government allowed only essential industries such as hospitals, frontline services, food and medicine manufacturers, delivery services, to operate at full capacity. Capacity limits were imposed on the operations of other industries.
"Sabihin na lang po nating dadami iyong APOR (authorized person outside of residence) kasi dadami na po iyong mga negosyo na puwede ng mag-operate, iyong mga law offices, iyong mga accounting firms, mga ad agencies, lahat po iyan, pupuwede ng magkaroon ng 50 percent. Eh dati po hindi sila pupuwedeng magbukas (Let's just say there will be more APORs, more business that can operate like law offices, accounting firms, ad agencies, all of them can operate at 50 percent. Before, they were not allowed to operate)," he said.
"So, mas malaki po talaga ang porsiyento ng ekonomiya na binubuksan natin. Ang mensahe natin, tayo po ay maghanapbuhay; pero dahil nandiyan pa rin ang banta ng COVID, tayo po ay mananatiling mahigpit pa rin sa ilang mga bagay kagaya ng mga super-spreader events and venues (So there is a bigger percent of the economy we will reopen. Our message is let's go to work but with the present COVID threat, we will continue to be strict when it comes to certain things like super-spreader events and venues)," he said.
Back in April, the Department of Trade and Industry released a list of industries allowed to operate at full or limited capacity during the MECQ implementation.
The industries allowed to operate at full capacity are public and private hospitals, health emergency and frontline services, medicine manufacturers agriculture-related industries, logistics service providers, manufacturing related to food and essential goods, companies that manufacture construction materials, essential retail trade groceries, hardware office supplies, bicycle and laundry shops, water refilling stations, restaurants limited to take out and delivery financial service providers, business process outsourcing public transport providers and operators.
Among the establishments allowed to operate at 50 percent on-site capacity are dental, rehabilitation, optometry, and other medical clinics, veterinary clinics, banks, pawnshops, money transfer services, capital markets, water supply, janitorial/sanitation services, energy sector, telecommunication firms, airline and aircraft maintenance, and ship captains and crew of shipyard operations and repair.
The establishments not allowed to operate during MECQ are the following:
- Entertainment venues with live performers such as karaoke bars, bars, clubs, concert halls, theaters, and cinemas;
-Recreational venues such as internet cafes, billiard halls, amusement arcades, bowling alleys, and similar venues;
-Amusement parks or theme parks, fairs/peryas, kid amusement industries such as playgrounds, playroom, and kiddie rides;
-Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, scrimmages, games, or activities;
-Indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities, and swimming pools;
-Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office;
-Indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits;
-Outdoor tourist attractions;
-Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions;
- Personal care services which include beauty salons, beauty parlors, medical aesthetic clinics, cosmetic or derma clinics, make-up salons, nail spas, reflexology, aesthetics, wellness, and holistic centers, and other similar establishments; acupuncture and electrocautery establishments, and massage therapy including sports therapy establishments. It also includes establishments providing tanning services, body piercings, tattooing, and similar services. Home service for these activities are likewise not permitted.
-Indoor dine-in services