Metro Manila, 9 other areas to remain under GCQ in March

 MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila and nine other areas will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the whole month of March, Palace spokesman Harry Roque announced Saturday. 

In an announcement made over state-run PTV, Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to place Metro Manila, Apayao, Baguio City, Kailinga, Mountain Province, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao City and Lanao del Sur under GCQ until March 31.

The rest of the country, meanwhile, will be under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). 

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque during his regular online briefing. FILE PHOTO

Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua earlier proposed placing the entire country under MGCQ to further spur economic recovery.

Nine out of 17 Metro Manila mayors backed this proposal, as well as the IATF.

Duterte, however,  thumbed down the proposed shift, considering that there was still no vaccine rollout.

More than half a million vaccine doses from China-based drugmaker Sinovac is expected to arrive in the country this Sunday, Feb. 28

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