Even when areas in the country shift to the more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ) or modified GCQ, the youth and the elderly who are not working will remain restricted to their homes, Malacañang said Thursday.
“The MGCQ is a transition between GCQ and the new normal. Of course there will be further industries that would be opened. But at the same time what will be consistent is the youth and the elderly who are not working, should stay home,” Roque said.
Earlier, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases recommended placing Metro Manila under GCQ, following a unanimous vote by the capital region’s mayors.
Roque said Metro Manila was ready to make the transition, but said the success of the shift would “depend on the cooperation of everyone.”
“Kahit anong anunsiyo ng Presidente mamayang gabi, pupuwede po tayong bumalik sa ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) muli kung ang datos ay magpapakita na napakabilis na naman ng doubling rate,” Roque said.
However, Roque said the government had “high confidence” the public would adhere to quarantine protocols even under relaxed quarantine measures.
“Unang-una, napatunayan ng mga Pilipino na kaya nilang sumunod dahil naman by and large ‘no, itong more than 70 days na tayo ay nagkaroon ng enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) at modified ECQ ay pinatunayan natin na disiplinado po ang mga Pilipino,” he said.
Local governments may place specific areas or zones under lockdowns if the regional IATF permits, he said.
The parameters for decision-making by local governments, said Roque, are the doubling rate of cases, current rate of infection and critical care.
The country saw the largest uptick in coronavirus cases since March 31 today with 539 new cases, bringing the country’s total to 15,558.
“I don’t think [the continuous rise in cases] is an issue na talagang sa ngayon po, habang walang gamot ay talagang dadami pa rin po ang kaso ng Covid-19,” Roque said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro
