Metro mayors: Don’t lift quarantine yet

Although new COVID-19 infections in the country have generally been declining, the government’s quarantine managers urged Filipinos to be “very cautious” during the Christmas season as surges of new cases have recently afflicted other countries.

“I and the (Metro Manila) mayors have talked and they are very cautious about shifting to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) here in Manila,” National Task Force against COVID-19 (NTF) chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Thursday.

“Their recommendation is that in case there will be an easing up of restrictions, maybe it could take place next year after the holidays,” Galvez said as new infections increased in Davao City and Benguet province.

Most parts of the country have been under the less restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) or MGCQ the past few weeks.

Metro Manila, Batangas, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Tacloban City, Iligan City, and Lanao del Sur were placed under GCQ for the entire month of November while the rest of the country remained under MGCQ.

On Nov. 20, Davao City shifted from the most lenient measure of MGCQ to GCQ after it recorded an increase in COVID-19 cases.

In other countries, a third wave of infections has been afflicting the United States the past weeks while a similar surge is emerging in South Korea.

The World Health Organization has also warned of more new cases in Europe. (Related story on Page A14)

Be extra careful

Galvez said the local governments in Metro Manila have been told to remind residents of the need to be extra careful during the holiday season.

He said the NTF also asked the Department of Trade and Industry about the need to conduct regular inspections in malls, restaurants and other commercial establishments where people will be flocking during the holiday.

“We reminded mall owners to have stricter implementation [of health protocols] through their marshals. We expect that it’s very [likely] that the cases will rise during sales and boxing days when people will really flock to the malls,” he added.

Galvez said he has also conferred with the leadership of the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines to help in a “stricter enforcement” of minimum health standards.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is expected to come out with recommendations for quarantine categories in various parts of the country.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said President Duterte will announce the quarantine classifications for the month of December on Nov. 30.

“Although it is a holiday on the 30th, I have had to personally change my schedule because I was told that the President will have a talk to the people on Nov. 30, which is a holiday,” Roque said.