MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will lift all quarantine measures in areas considered as low-risk for the coronavirus transmission starting May 16, Malacañang announced Tuesday.
In an online press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the following regions will no longer be placed under enhanced or general community quarantine from May 16:
Region I
- Ilocos Norte*
- Ilocos Sur
- La Union*
- Pangasinan*
- Dagupan City*
Region IV-B
- Marinduque
- Occidental Mindoro
- Oriental Mindoro
- Romblon
- Palawan
- Puerto Princesa City
Region V
- Albay*
- Camarines Norte
- Camarines Sur
- Catanduanes
- Masbate
- Sorsogon
- Legazpi City*
- Naga City
Region VI
- Aklan
- Antique
- Capiz
- Guimaras
- Iloilo
- Negros Occidental
- Iloilo City
- Bacolod City
Region VIII
- Biliran
- Eastern Samar
- Leyte Northern Samar
- Western Samar
- Southern Leyte
- Ormoc City
- Tacloban City
Region X
- Bukidnon
- Camiguin
- Lanao del Norte
- Misamis Occidental
- Misamis Oriental
- Cagayan de Oro City
Region XII
- North Cotabato
- South Cotabato
- Sarangani
- Sultan Kudarat
- General Santos City
BARMM
- Basilan
- Lanao del Sur
- Maguindanao
- Sulu
- Tawi-Tawi
- Cotabato City
(*Recommendations assuming similar risk classification prevails on May 14, 2020.)
Roque said lifting of quarantine measures does not mean that things will return to normal as minimum health standards must still be observed.
“Hindi po, kasi habang wala pong vaccine, kailangan ng minimum health standards. Yung mga minimum health standards— social distancing, good hygiene, temperature checks at iba pang mga pineprescribe ng DOH [Department of Health],” he said.
(While there is still no vaccine, minimum health standards must be observed. These are social distancing, good hygiene, temperature checks and other precautionary measures prescribed by the DOH.)
Meanwhile, areas that remain high-risk for coronavirus transmission like Metro Manila, Laguna and Cebu City were placed under a modified enhanced community quarantine until May 31.
As of Monday, there are 11,086 confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide with 726 deaths and 1,999 recoveries.