Curfew hours to stay even during GCQ—Roque

FILE – Joint Task Force Covid Shield Commander, Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar and Highway Patrol Group Director Eliseo Cruz lead the inspection of checkpoints in Marcos Highway at the boundary of Metro Manila and Rizal on May 18, 2020, during the modified enhanced community quarantine. Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — Curfew hours will be maintained even as most areas in the country will be placed under a less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ) on June 1, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Saturday.

“They remain,” Roque confirmed in a text message to INQUIRER.net when asked if curfew hours in GCQ areas will be adjusted.

Previously, Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander, said retaining curfew hours would help in ensuring that measures to prevent the spread of community quarantine are followed.

To recall, local government units have approved ordinances that imposed curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. when the lockdown first started in mid-March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.

Roque earlier announced that the government has imposed less strict GCQ in Cebu City, Mandaue, Pangasinan, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas, Zamboanga City, Davao City, and Metro Manila which will start on June 1, Monday.

As of May 29, the Philippines documented 16,634 cases of COVID-19 including 942 deaths and 3,720 recoveries.