GCQ in NCR possible if COVID cases drop, MMC chairman says
MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila may be placed back under the less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ) after August 18 if active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the region decline steadily, the chairman of Metro Manila Council (MMC) said Thursday.
File photo shows light to moderate traffic along Edsa and an operational MRT-3 train when Metro Manila was first placed under general community quarantine on June 1, 2020. Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer
“Kung magtutuloy yung trend natin, most probably mag-GCQ na tayo (If the trend continues, most probably NCR will get GCQ status),” Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said in an interview on Unang Hirit.
He shared that the number of active cases in Paranaque City decreasedafter the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) was reimposed.
“Sa experience ng Parañaque, bumaba ang ating cases. Way back August 4, ang ating pong active cases within the city of Parañaque, umabot ng 876. Ang data kahapon 651,” Olivarez said.
(For Parañaque, our cases decreased. On August 4, active cases in the city reached 876. Yesterday, there were only 651 active cases)
Olivarez noted the MECQ from August 4 to 18, helped curb the spread of COVID-19 due to restricted movement.
Despite this, the MMC chairperson said Metro Manila mayors would rely on the final data before crafting a recommendation regarding the status of Metro Manila to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
“Usually, DOH (Department of Health) mag-pre-present sa NCR, para recommendation sa IATF ay supported by data. Mahirap kasi kung gut feel,” Olivarez said.
(Usually, DOH will make a presentation, so that our recommendation to IATF will be backed by data. It is difficult to decide through gut feel.)
As of Wednesday, Philippines’ caseload reached 143,749 with 4,444 new cases. Of the recent cases, a huge chunk came from Metro Manila with 2,618 cases.
A total of 68,997 patients have recovered while 2, 404 have died.
Aside from Metro Manila, the government likewise placed Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite under MECQ to heed frontliners’ call for a time-out as more health workers get infected and exhausted from the surge of COVID-19 cases.
