Palace: Life won’t return to normal under GCQ as virus threat remains

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines — Even if some areas shift to general community quarantine (GCQ), Malacañang on Monday cautioned that this does not mean that life will return to “normal” as the threat of COVID-19 remains without available vaccine or cure.

“Dahil ang ibig sabihin lang ng pagbaba ng ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] sa GCQ, meron pa rin pong banta, hindi lang ganun katindi pero pag binaba po sa GCQ, yan po’y kritikal pa rin ang ating sitwasyon,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online press briefing.

(Shifting from ECQ to GCQ means there is still a threat but not that bad. In shifting to GCQ, we’re still a critical situation.)

“Hindi na po tayo puwedeng bumalik sa normal na bago dumating ang COVID-19 habang walang bakuna, habang walang gamot sa COVID-19,” he added.

(We cannot return to normal like the time when COVID-19 was not around if there is still no vaccine or cure for the respiratory disease.)

Earlier, Roque said only parts of Metro Manila may remain under ECQ after May 15. He explained it would depend on the severity of contagion in various localities.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday is expected to decide on whether to relax or extend the ECQ in various areas after May 15.

Roque said the President is set to meet the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to discuss the quarantine measures.

Among the matters on the table, Roque said, are the recommendation of Metro Manila mayors to extend ECQ for 15 more days, place the metropolis under GCQ, or allow local governments to impose a lockdown in specific barangays.

“Sa tingin ko po magkakaroon ng linaw ngayong araw, ayaw ko pong mag speculate, the recommendations of the mayors will be considered.” Roque said.

(I believe this will be cleared today. I don’t want to speculate but the recommendations of the mayors will be considered.)

As of Sunday, there are 10,794 confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide with 719 fatalities and 1,924 recoveries.

JPV