MANILA, Philippines – The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) is set to meet on Saturday, April 10 to discuss the new quarantine classification that will be imposed over Metro Manila and four other provinces next week, Malacañang said.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement in a statement issued after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna – collectively called NCR Plus – have been placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until April 11 in a bid to control the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Roque, in an online press briefing on Thursday, said the decision on whether to extend or lift the ECQ in the NCR Plus would depend on data about the healthcare utilization rate and the incidence rate of COVID-19 infections.

“Maaari naman pong ma-relax ang kasalukuyang community quarantine classification. Nakasalalay po ito sa mga indicators na ating nabanggit,” Roque said.

In the same briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they are studying the data on the COVID-19 situation in the country and whether the two-week ECQ period have been effective in slowing down the virus transmission.

“Maaari lamang po tayong makapag-shift sa mababang quarantine classification katulad ng MECQ kung makikita na po nating mas umaayos na po ang ating health system at mayroon na po tayong agarang detection at isolation,” Vergeire said.

Should the NCR Plus be placed under the less restrictive modified ECQ (MECQ), more industries will be permitted to operate and limited mass gatherings of up to 10 persons will be allowed.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed some areas under MECQ and general community quarantine (GCQ) for the whole month of April.

Quirino Province will be under MECQ from April 1 to 15 while Santiago City in Isabela will be under MECQ from April 1 to 30.

The areas of Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City Davao City, and Lanao del Sur are under GCQ until April 30.

The rest of the country was placed under modified GCQ. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Rosalie Coz)

MANILA, Philippines – Some areas in the country will be placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and general community quarantine (GCQ) for the month of April due to the recent surge in COVID-19 infections.

In a televised public address, President Rodrigo Duterte said Quirino Province will be under MECQ from April 1 to 15 while Santiago City in Isabela will be under MECQ from April 1 to 30.

Duterte also placed the following areas under GCQ until April 30:

• Cordillera Administrative Region
• Cagayan
• Isabela
  Nueva Vizcaya
• Batangas
• Tacloban City
• Iligan City
• Davao City
• Lanao del Sur

The National Capital Region (NCR), and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna – tagged as NCR Plus bubble – are currently under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until April 4.

Duterte has yet to announce the fate of the NCR Plus bubble by April 5 but Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said that the government is weighing the impact of an extended ECQ on Filipinos’ hunger and whether the government could still provide assistance beyond the week-long enforcement of ECQ.

All other areas in the country shall be placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) for the month of April, Duterte said.

The Philippines on Monday recorded 10,016 new coronavirus infections, the highest since the pandemic began last year.

The Department of Health said the latest figure pushed the country’s total active cases to 115,495.

The country’s total tally has climbed to 731,894 with 13,186 fatalities and 603,213 recoveries.

MANILA, Philippines – Pinalawig pa ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Davao City ang pagpapatupad ng curfew at liquor ban sa lungsod hanggang sa buwan ng Mayo sa kabila ng pagbaba ng kaso ng COVID-19.

Sa ilalim ng Executive Order 12A na inilabas nitong Miyerkules, mananatili hanggang Mayo 31 ang liquor ban at curfew upang maiwasan ang inuman at pagtitipon ng mga tao na ilan sa mga mga dahilan ng pagkalat ng COVID-19.

Ayon kay Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, hindi dapat magpabaya ang publiko dahil nananatili pa rin ang banta ng coronavirus.

“We are still waiting for the possible second wave. At kung mangyari ang second wave ibabalik pa rin nating ang liquor ban at curfew. So ipagpapatuloy na lng natin ‘yan sa ngayon para hindi siya makapag-create ng confusion,” ani Duterte.

Sa Marso 31 orihinal na nakatalagang magtapos ang 24/7 liquor ban at ang curfew hours na mula alas-9 ng gabi hanggang alas-4 ng madaling araw.

Hindi naman sakop ng curfew ang mga may trabaho at nag-o-operate ng negosyo, batay sa kautusan.

Sa ngayon ay mayroong 258 na aktibong mga kaso ng COVID-19 sa lungsod. – RRD (mula sa ulat ni Correspondent Lucille Lloren)