Mayors ready for GCQ or MGCQ in Metro Manila by February — MMDA

(FILE) FIRST FRIDAY- People gather outside the Quiapo church in Manila for the First Friday Mass of September, as the government allows religious activities to resume under the GCQ but only up to 10 percent of the church’s capacity. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Mayors of Metro Manila are prepared to stay under a general community quarantine (GCQ) or move to the relaxed restrictions of a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) come February, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.

In a press conference on Tuesday, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia said Metro mayors are ready should the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will decide to keep Metro Manila under GCQ or place it under MGCQ.

What is important, Garcia stressed, is that the local government units (LGUs) are prepared to prevent Covid-19 community transmissions and are ready for the rollout of the vaccines, once made available.

“Sabi nga ng mga mayors natin, mahal natin ang ekonomiya that’s why we’re doing it gradual, unti-unti ang opening.   Andito na ‘yong vaccines natin, malapit na, ayaw naman nating magkaroon ng surge tapos nag-aasikaso tayo ng vaccine, napakahirap nyan,” Garcia said.

(The mayors said they love the economy that is why we’re opening it and doing it gradually.  The vaccines are nearly here, we do not want a surge to happen.)

(If they’re going to maintain a status quo, meaning still GCQ in February, we welcome that.  If they open it a bit, move to an MGCQ classification, the mayors also see no problem.  What’s important is the targeted lockdowns, that mayors are in control of the minimum health protocols.)

According to Garcia Metro Manila mayors also gave a unanimous recommendation to the IATF during a previous Metro Manila Council (MMC) meeting.  He also noted that the IATF is crafting a decision on the NCR’s quarantine status, but he has no authority to divulge details.

When asked whether the government is considering the Covid-19 variant that originated from the United Kingdom in its decision for Metro Manila, Garcia answered in the affirmative.

“I’m not in the position to announce it, I just attended a meeting with the IATF din kaninang umaga […] Sa side ng IATF, Secretary Harry Roque will have a presscon tomorrow I do not want to preempt it, pero sabi ko nga naglabas ng mga guidelines,” Garcia said.

(I’m not in the position to announce it, I just attended a meeting with the IATF this morning.  On the side of the IATF, Secretary Harry Roque will have a press conference tomorrow so I do not want to preempt it, but they said that they will release guidelines.)

“Mas lalo tayong mag-ingat, kumbaga siguro ito na ang naging warning shot sa atin, may bagong variant kasi minsan sobrang tagal na parang nare-relax ka na […] ‘Yong new variant ay mas mabilis kumalat, so mas magandang nag-iingat.  Meaning, gradual pa rin ang opening,” he added.

(We should be more careful with the UK variant around, it seemed to be the warning shot for us because sometimes we become too relaxed and complacent.  The new variant spreads quicker, so it would be better to exercise caution, which means that still, the economy’s opening should be gradual.)

Earlier, Garcia said the MMDA, the IATF, and other government agencies will check the status of facilities in each Metro local government unit (LGU) for the handling and storage of Covid-19 vaccines.

As of now, Metro Manila remains to be the epicenter of the Covid-19 infections in the country.  Data from the DOH Covid-19 tracker website showed that almost half of the total confirmed cases in the Philippines — 219,935 of the 516,166 cases — are in the National Capital Region.

In terms of active cases, more than one-fourth of the country’s patients or 7,961 of the 30,357 are in Metro Manila.

READ: PH’s Covid-19 cases climb to 516,166 with 1,173 new cases

/MUF