Duterte to announce tonight PH’s quarantine classification for April 5-30

Lighted candles are placed on the empty pews of the St. Peter Parish: Shrine of Leaders, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City during the live stream online Palm Sunday mass. The government has declared another round of enhanced community quarantine this Holy Week from March 29 to April 4 amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna. Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte will announce on Monday night quarantine classifications across the country from April 5 to 30, Malacañang said.

According to presidential spokesman Harry Roque, the President will have his regular “Talk to the People” after attending the turnover ceremony for the one million doses of CoronaVac purchased from Chinese drugmaker Sinovac BioTech with select Cabinet officials.

The President will also discuss the financial aid for those affected by the implementation of a one-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that started Monday and will last until April 4, he added.

“Inaasahan natin na sa Talk to the People, masasapinal na ‘yung quarantine classification simula April 5 hanggang katapusan sa Abril at saka ‘yung issue ng assistance sa gobyerno [dahil sa ECQ],” Roque said in a Palace briefing.

(We are expecting that during the Talk to the People, the quarantine classification from April 5 to the end of the month will be finalized, as well as the issue on government assistance due to ECQ.)

Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna – or the so-called NCR Plus bubble – were placed under ECQ from Monday due to the recent surges of COVID-19 cases.

Roque, however, could not say whether the reimposed ECQ will be extended, saying it is being thoroughly deliberated upon by the concerned agencies.

KGA