Clueless in the city: Some Metro travelers unaware MECQ is back – NCRPO

MANILA, Philippines — Some travelers in Metro Manila are still unaware of the guidelines on the implementation of a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), police said Tuesday.

Metro Manila police chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas said they encountered a sort of “challenge” with travelers on the first day of the stricter quarantine.

“Ang challenge namin kagabi, ‘yung ibang biyahero medyo pinapalabas nila na hindi nila alam na implemented na pala nung hating-gabi,” Sinas said in a press conference at Camp Karingal on Tuesday when asked about challenges of police on quarantine control points.

(Our challenge last night, some travelers were going outside but they did not know that the MECQ was implemented last midnight.)

The NCRPO chief also noted that they would continue to share announcements and put up more tarpaulins to discuss guidelines for the quarantine.

READ: MECQ guidelines in infographics

The government placed Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan under MECQ from August 4 to August 18, following the medical frontline workers’ request for the stricter lockdown for two weeks due to surge of COVID-19 cases.

As of Tuesday, the Philippines has 112,593 total cases of COVID-19 with 66,049 recoveries and 2,115 deaths. [ac]