Palace: Easing of GCQ unlikely for Metro Manila after July 15

MANILA, Philippines — It is unlikely that the general community quarantine (GCQ) imposed over Metro Manila will be eased after July 15, Malacañang said Monday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said downgrading the quarantine measure in Metro Manila to modified GCQ was not recommended in the recent Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases meeting.

“That was not part of any recommendation made, that’s all I can say, hangga’t ‘di po ina-announce ng Presidente,” Roque said in an online briefing.

(That was not part of any recommendation made, that’s all I can say until the President announces the new quarantine classifications.)

“At siguro po at this point, the data does not indicate na pupwede magluwag po at least sa Metro Manila, para lang po to manage expectations,” he added.

(Maybe at this point, the data does not indicate that we can ease restrictions in Metro Manila, just to manage expectations.)

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce the new lockdown measures in various areas on Wednesday.

Chief implementor of the National Task Force on COVID-19 Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. added that Metro Manila mayors have recommended the region be retained under GCQ.

“Nakita natin na yung mga hospital po sa Manila ay medyo napupuno po ang iba,” Galvez explained.

(We saw that some of the hospitals in Manila are slightly becoming full.)

“Ang maganda dito sa NCR [National Capital Region], very collective po yung desisyon nila under the MMDA [Metropolitan Manila Development Authority]…Sabi nga po nila, one for all, all for one, kung ano ang desisyon ng isang city mayor, susundin po nila. Kung ano po ang desisyon ng IATF, susundin po nila,” he further said.

(What’s good here in NCR is they are very collective under the MMDA. One for all, all for one. The decision of one city mayor will be followed by all. Whatever the IATF decides, they will follow.)

Metro Manila mayors also floated the possibility of implementing a “hybrid” lockdown measure, Galvez said.

“Pero ang hinihiling po nila, magkaroon ng stricter control but we can open yung other economic activity. Kaya tinatawag nila na parang hybrid,” he explained.

(What they are also asking is to have stricter control while opening up other economic activity. That’s why it’s called hybrid.)

Metro Manila has been under GCQ since June 1.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has so far recorded 56,259 COVID-19 cases nationwide with 1,534 fatalities and 16,046 recoveries.

JPV