By ARGYLL GEDUCOS
After a two-week timeout for the medical frontliners, President Duterte has approved the recommendation to revert Metro Manila and nearby provinces Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal to general community quarantine (GCQ) starting August 19.
In his late-night public address, President Duterte said that the entire country is under the modified GCQ until the end of the month except for the following areas which are under GCQ:
- Metro Manila
- Bulacan
- Cavite
- Laguna
- Rizal
- Nueva Ecija
- Batangas
- Quezon
- Iloilo City
- Cebu City
- Lapu Lapu City
- Mandaue City
- Talisay City
- Municipality of Minglanilla, Cebu
- Municipality of Consolacion, Cebu
In his address, President Duterte reminded the public to follow the protocols set by the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to combat COVID-19.
“Just, I said, just be careful. Follow the safeguards,” he said.
Meanwhile, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF has set conditions before recommending for the five areas under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), especially Metro Manila, to be reverted to GCQ.
“Kinakailangan buksan po natin ang ekonomiya sabay po yung tinatawag nating ‘refresh’ (We need to open the economy alongside what we call ‘refresh’),” he said.
“Ire-refresh po natin ang responses natin sa COVID, kasama na po diyan yung maigting na testing,” he added.
President Duterte has placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal under MECQ from August 4 to 18 after the medical community asked for a “timeout”.
As the MECQ period neared its expiration date, President Duterte expressed unwillingness to extend the strict lockdown in the five areas, saying people needed to work to revive the economy.
