Metro Manila will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ), while Cebu City will be placed under the less stringent modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until July 31, Palace spokesman Harry Roque announced Wednesday.
Roque bared that a team of researchers from the University of the Philippines recommended the capital region’s return to MECQ, which was initially agreed to by President Rodrigo Duterte.
However, Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año appealed for the GCQ extension instead, after Metro Manila mayors committed to tighten localized lockdowns, improve the implementation of the “testing-tracing-treatment” strategy and and reinforce community quarantine restrictions.
“Pumayag ang ating Presidente na huwag munang ibalik ang Metro Manila sa MECQ sa susunod na dalawang linggo, pero malinaw po sa diskusyon na kapag hindi pa rin po napabagal ang pagkalat ng Covid sa Metro Manila, posible pong bumalik sa MECQ pagkatapos po nitong dalawang linggo,” Roque said.
Along with Metro Manila, the following areas will also be under GCQ until July 31: Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Ormoc, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga City, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Basilan, Talisay, Minglanilla and Consolacion.
The following areas will be under modified GCQ given “medium risk,” requiring smaller lockdowns and stricter local action to be imposed by local government units:
- CAR – Benguet, Baguio City
- Region I – Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Dagupan City
- Region II – Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya
- Region III – Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City
- Region IV A – Batangas, Quezon, Lucena City
- Region IV B – Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa City
- Region V – Albay, Masbate, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Naga City
- Region VI – Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Antique, Aklan, Guimaras, Iloilo City, Bacolod City
- Region VII – Negros Oriental, Bohol, Cebu Province
- Region VIII – Western Samar, Leyte, Biliran, Tacloban City
- Region IX – Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte
- Region X – Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City
- Region XI – Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro, Davao City
- Region XII – Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato, South Cotabato, General Santos City
- BARMM – Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao.
The rest of the country will remain under “low risk” modified general community quarantine, Roque said.
The country has recorded 58,850 Covid-19 cases as of July 15. John Ezekiel J. Hirro