Areas with low risk of coronavirus infection will be placed under modified general community quarantine instead of being totally removed from the lockdown rule starting May 16.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año announced that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will amend an earlier resolution indicating that the low-risk provinces and cities would no longer be under community quarantine following appeals raised by concerned local government officials.
Once the IATF formally changes the quarantine classification of the low-risk areas, Año said this would mean that no place in the country is not covered by the community quarantine.
“Maraming local chief executives, governors, at mayors nagsagawa ng petition at request at sinasabi nila na hindi pa sila handa para tanggalin ang community quarantine kaya magkakaroon tayo ng amendment na pagtitibayin mamaya sa ating IATF meeting upang ang mga provinces na ito, walong regions, 37 provinces, 11 cities, at kasama na BARMM, malalagay sila sa modified general community quarantine,” he said.
Año expressed concern that there might be a second or third wave of coronavirus infections if the community quarantine is immediately lifted in these areas.
“Magkakaroon ng local chief executives ng guidelines kung paano niya ipapatupad ang modified GCQ para sa mayroon siyang kapangyarihan na magagamit na matigil ang pag-spread ng virus sa mga lugar na mayroon pa. Kasi kapag wala na ang quarantine ay ine-expect natin baka magkaroon ng second or third wave,” he said.
“Wala na tayong area sa buong Pilipinas na hindi under community quarantine. Iba-iba lang ang level. Itong low-risk ay mapupunta sa modified general community quarantine at mayroon din naman tayong guidelines na i-issue para susundin ng ating local government units,” he said.
Under the modified GCQ guideline released by Malacanang last Tuesday, there will be “permissive socio-economic activities within public health standards.”
The IATF had earlier issued Resolution No. 35 stating that several low-risk provinces and cities shall “no longer be under community quarantine without prejudice to strict observation of minimum health standards” starting May 16.
The resolution also announced the government’s plan to place Metro Manila and two other high-risk areas under modified enhanced community quarantine, and several moderate-risk places under general community quarantine from May 16 to May 31 to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Low-risk areas have more than 30 days case doubling time and less than 30 percent of critical care is utilized. The “containment preparation” strategy includes empowering the community and enforcing heath risk standards as well as investing in health system capacity.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III admitted that there was an “honest mistake” in the issuance of the resolution on the classification of quarantine areas.
Duque said he only agreed to sign the document knowing it will only tackle the “concept” of the transition of ECQ to modified ECQ as well as GCQ to modified GCQ. He said his staff told him that no areas will be mentioned in the document.
“Nagkaroon ng honest mistake. Kasama ko ang staff na ‘yun para kung kinakailangan na magpaliwanag, handa siya magpaliwanag,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)