NCR, Regions III, IV-A, "high-risk areas" to be under enhanced community quarantine until May 15 - Palace
By Celerina Monte/DMS
The Philippine government has maintained the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and nearby two other regions and expanded it to other "high-risk areas" in the country until May 15.
This was after the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases made its recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte during their meeting in Malacanang on Thursday, April 23.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the President approved the IATF recommendation.
Aside from the National Capital Region, also under the ECQ are Regions III or Central Luzon and IV-A or Calabarzon.
"Provinces considered high-risk in Region III include Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Pampanga. High-risk provinces in Region IV-A are Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Quezon. Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro comprise high-risk provinces in Region IV-B while Albay and Catanduanes are the high-risk provinces in Region V. Benguet in CAR Cordillera Administrative Region), Pangasinan in Region I, Tarlac and Zambales in Region III may change by April 30," said Roque during the taped meeting in Malacañang aired on Friday morning.
In the Visayas, Roque said the IAFT considered Antique, Iloilo, Cebu and Cebu City high-risk, all subject to recheck, Aklan and Capiz, which are both subject to ECQ.
In Mindanao, Davao del Norte and Davao City are considered high-risk, while Davao de Oro is subject to ECQ and subject to recheck, he said.
The spokesman said high-risk areas will be under ECQ until May 15, subject for further evaluation.
In a virtual press briefing on Friday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said that the government would implement "stricter" measures in areas under ECQ or lockdown.
Under the ECQ, the people are asked to remain at home and those who were given the pass could only go out to buy food and other essential things. Mass gatherings are also not allowed and social distancing are being enforced.
Roque said the moderate-risk areas will be under general community quarantine until May 15, also subject for further evaluation.
The low-risk areas will fall under general community quarantine until May 15, and "if there is no deterioration, GCQ will be relaxed leading to normalization," Roque added.
Other areas and provinces not covered by the ECQ are under GCQ, the official said.
The IATF also recommended a minimum health standard to be implemented starting April 27.
The Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Public Works and Highways will prepare the guidelines by April 25, Roque said.
"Areas previously under ECQ but remain under GCQ will allow workers to go out and work in phases. Young people, senior citizens and high health risk would stay at home," he said.
He said there will also be partial opening of the malls in areas under GCQs.
"For GCQ areas, restricted mall opening covering non-leisure shops would be allowed," the official said.
However, Roque said there will be mandatory temperature check, mandatory wearing of masks, and mandatory alcohol use.
"Limited number of people, particularly those with age 21 to 59, with ID and not looking sickly, would be allowed to go inside," he said.
There are about 865 malls in the country.
The government has also decided to allow the reopening of "priority and essential construction projects," subject to minimum health standards, physical distancing, and barracks for workers, Roque said.
"Public transport modes would be allowed to operate at reduced capacity. Local government units (LGUs) would enforce curfew at night for non-workers," Roque said.
Año said the DOTr will prepare the guidelines for the operation of public transportation.
Based on the initial discussion, in areas under GCQ, he said taxis, public utility vehicles and buses will be allowed.
"But jeepneys, no," he said, noting that under this mode of transportation, it is hard to implement social distancing.
"The decision on ECQ and GCQ were based on the risk of outbreak. Areas under ECQ would again undergo evaluation if the decision can be relaxed starting May 16, 2020," Roque said.
He also said that in the distribution of cash assistance, the government is considering to "reprioritize" the subsidy towards ECQ areas and not anymore those under GCQs.
But Año assured that those qualified beneficiaries who have not yet received their cash assistance under the Social Amelioration Program could still get their share.
For both areas under ECQ and GCQ, Roque said all airports and seaports will be opened for movement of goods only.
For areas under GCQ, the government is considering to allow higher education institutions school year to finish and give credentials to students, he said.
Roque said in the areas under GCQ, the government allows the 100 percent opening of agriculture, fishery, forestry; food manufacturing and its entire supply chain, such as ink, packaging, raw materials, ect.; food retail, such as supermarket, market, restaurants for takeout and delivery only; healthcare, such as hospitals, clinics, drugstores; logistics; water; energy; internet, telecommunications; and media.
For industries, which could open for 50 to 100 percent under GCQ, these include other manufacturing like electronics and exports; e-commerce and delivery for essential and non-essential items; repair and maintenance; and housing and office services.
For 50 percent onsite work and 50 percent work from home under GCQ, the industries that are allowed include financial services, business process outsourcing, other non-leisure wholesale and retail trade, and other non-leisure services.
Consider for 100 percent closure since the "the main transmitters are children age 0 to 20," Roque said are schools; leisure, amusement, gaming, fitness; kid industry; tourism; all gatherings, including religious, conferences, etc.
Duterte has approved the modified ECQ as the Luzon-wide lockdown will expire on April 30.
