President Rodrigo Duterte has retained the general community quarantine (GCQ) imposed in Metro Manila and its adjacent provinces or the so-called NCR Plus with certain curbs to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The President approved an expert groups’ recommendation Monday retaining GCQ in Metro Manila and Bulacan with “some restrictions” from June 16 to 30.
The rest of the NCR Plus remains under GCQ with “heightened restrictions” for the same period.
The chief executive announced the new quarantine classifications during his weekly public address on the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Duterte also announced areas that will remain under GCQ for the whole month of June.
These are Baguio City, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Abra, Benguet, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Batangas, Quezon, Iligan City, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, and Cotabato City.
Meanwhile, President Duterte placed 21 more areas under a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until June 30.
These are the City of Santiago, Cagayan Province, Apayao, Ifugao, Bataan, Lucena City,Puerto Princesa City, Naga City (Bicol), Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, Butuan City, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Sur.
The rest of the country will be under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), President Duterte said.
Spokesperson Harry Roque, who was present during the meeting, said indoor and outdoor (al fresco) dining in areas under MECQ will have limited seating capacity at 10 percent and 50 percent, respectively.
Venues for outdoor sports and courts will be limited to 50 percent only, Roque added.
Personal care services like beauty salons, barbershops, beauty parlors, nail spas are allowed for up to 30 percent.
At the same time, the presidential spokesperson said that indoor contact sports, courts or venues, other indoor leisure centers or facilities, scrimmages, and games are prohibited. Indoor and outdoor tourist attractions are also not allowed.
For areas under ordinary GCQ, indoor sports and venues, as well as indoor tourist attractions will be allowed at 50 percent operational capacity. Venues for meetings, conferences, and exhibition, will also be allowed to open at 50 percent capacity.
Personal care services, salons, parlors, beauty clinics, could also operate at 50 percent capacity.
Religious activities and wake services, weddings, baptism, which, under MECQ could only operate at 10 percent capacity, are now allowed to be conducted at 30 percent for up to 50 percent capacity, according to Roque.
The Philippines has logged 6,426 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, putting the country’s active cases at 59,096, the Department of Health reported. There are 1,240,112 recoveries while the total death toll is 22,845. PND
