NCR mayors: Up to IATF to present quarantine recommendations

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila mayors will leave it up to the Inter Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease to present recommendation on the quarantine status of the metropolis to President Duterte this week, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Sunday.

“Nag-decide lahat na whatever decision of the IATF (Inter Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease), we trust their wisdom and we will follow, and pangalawa naka-ready kung ano ang decision ng Pangulo,” MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia said in an interview on dzBB when pressed for an update on the agency’s meeting with the 17 Metro Manila mayors Saturday night.

(They decided to abide by the decision of the IATF. We are ready for the President’s decision.)

“If ever nag GCQ (general community quarantine), kailangan lang ng guidelines. Nagkaroon kami ng paguusap tungkol diyan… and we will coordinate with national government kung ano yung mga bagong papayagan,” he said.

(If the GCQ status is extended, we will need guidelines. We already had a meeting about that and we will coordinate with the national government on the new protocols.)

On Saturday night, the MMDA had a meeting with Metro Manila mayors regarding bus routes and bicycle lanes. They did not tackle quarantine / lockdown issues, the MMDA said.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to issue new orders on the nation’s quarantine status amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVD-19) pandemic on Monday, June 15.

Currently, Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Pangasinan, Albay, Western Visayas, Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Davao City are under general community quarantine status while the rest of the country is under the less stringent modified GCQ status.

As of Saturday afternoon, the  Philippines has logged 25,392COVID-19  cases including 1,074 deaths and 5,706 recoveries.

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