MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Metro Manila will remain under the general community quarantine (GCQ) until August 15, 2020, even as the number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases continue to surge nationwide.
Meanwhile, Cebu City’s lockdown status will be downgraded to general community quarantine starting August 1 to August 15, Malacañang said Friday.
Other areas placed under GCQ are Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal in Luzon; Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Minglanilla and Consolacion in the Visayas; and Zamboanga City in Mindanao.
The rest of the country, meanwhile, will be under the modified GCQ, Duterte said.
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, in his Talk to the People Address on July 31, placed Cebu City under general community quarantine (GCQ) starting August 1,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
Cebu City was under the strictest lockdown or enhanced community quarantine from June 15 to July 15.
Its quarantine status was later on eased to modified ECQ starting July 16 until July 31.
Cebu City has so far logged 8,136 COVID-19 cases with 342 deaths and 6,740 recoveries, according to data from the DOH COVID-19 tracker.
Physical distancing is observed inside an MRT-3 coach at the North Avenue Station in Quezon City on the first day of the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila on last June 1, 2020. President Duterte on Friday, July 31, 2020 maintained the GCQ status in Metro Manila, Cebu and six other areas. The rest of the country is under modified GCQ status. (Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
In a taped address aired Friday morning, Duterte said aside from the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, the province of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Minglanilla and Consolacion and Zamboanga City likewise be under GCQ.
The rest of the country, meanwhile, will be under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Duterte said.
On Thursday, the Philippines logged a record-high 3,954 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total caseload to 89,374.
Meanwhile, 65,064 have recovered although 1,983 died.
Localized lockdowns
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the National Task Force, the Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic Teams will implement a strict localized lockdowns in barangays in with high community transmission in the National Capital Region and Region IV-A.
Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, also the designated treatment czar of the government, was directed to monitor the compliance of hospitals in these areas and to the One Hospital Command System in NCR, Region III, and Region IV-A, Roque noted.
LGU updates
“Finally, the local government units (LGUs) are directed to submit daily updates and weekly comprehensive reports containing daily trend of active cases, number and percent of population; cases in community isolation facility vs. health facility vs home for priority areas or barangays under localized lockdown,” the Palace official said.
“Included metrices to be submitted by LGUs are percent of close contacts traced and percent of contacts in quarantine; the number of utilization of community isolation beds; met health system capacity targets utilization; and COVID Special Teams investigations and results,” he added.
On Thursday, the Philippines logged a record-high 3,954 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total caseload to 89,374.
Sixty five thousand sixty four individuals have so far recovered while 1,983 died.