MANILA, Philippines — Non-essential travel to and from Metro Manila and other provinces placed anew under the general community quarantine (GCQ) will no longer be allowed, according to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Under IATF Resolution No. 104, only essential travel is allowed to and from Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal during the enforcement of the GCQ from March 22 (Monday) to April 4 (Sunday).
“Bagama’t ang mga probinsya pong ito, kasama ang Metro Manila, ay nasa ilalim ng GCQ, meron po tayong karagdagang mga restrictions,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing Sunday.
(While these provinces, together with Metro Manila, are placed under GCQ, we will impose additional restrictions.)
“Unang-una po, bawal po ang pagba-biyahe papunta sa Metro Manila at mga probinsya ng Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal at bawal din po lumabas,” he added.
(Firstly, non-essential travel will not be allowed into or out of Metro Manila and the province of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.)
“Magkakaroon po tayo ng parang [We will have a] bubble,” he added.
According to Roque, travel within the “bubble” will remain “unimpeded.”
“Unimpeded pa rin po ang travel within the bubble area. Yung pauwi po, karapatan niyo pong umuwi pero yun po kinakailangan magpakita po ng ID na magpapatunay na kayo’y residente ng Metro Manila or yung saan man kayo uuwi,” he added.
(Travel within the bubble area will remain unimpeded. Those who need to go home, it’s your right to do so but you need to present your ID and prove you are a resident of Metro Manila or wherever your residence is.)
Authorized persons outside their residence (APORs) will still be allowed to do essential travel in and out of the five areas under GCQ, the presidential spokesperson said.
Those identified as APORs include:
- essential workers (just need to present their work ID)
- health and emergency frontline services personnel
- government officials and government frontline personnel
- duly-authorized humanitarian assistance actors
- persons traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons
- persons going to the airport for travel abroad
- anyone crossing zones for work or business and going back home
- returning overseas Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers
The Philippines logged 7,757 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday, the third straight day that the country has recorded over 7,000 additional cases daily.
“Unang-una po, bawal po ang pagba-biyahe papunta sa Metro Manila at mga probinsya ng Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal at bawal din po lumabas,” he added.
“Magkakaroon po tayo ng parang bubble,” he added.