MANILA, Philippines — Placing the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus area under general community quarantine “with heightened restrictions” is a “calibrated way” of slowly opening the economy, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said Friday.
Velasco backed the new NCR Plus quarantine classification but said strict measures to control the spread of the virus will have to be implemented.
“Placing NCR Plus under this new quarantine category is a well-calibrated way to slowly open our economy. While it is understandable that some quarters would like all restrictions to be lifted at once, we have also seen how this has resulted in a spike in COVID-19 cases,” Velasco said in a statement.
“Given the need to revive consumer spending, but balanced with the threat of new variants, ‘GCQ with heightened restrictions’ is a good median,” he added.
Velasco said the move to place NCR under GCQ with heightened restrictions is a “strategy to safeguard public health and promote economic recovery amid the continuing threat of COVID-19.”
On Thursday night, the Palace said the NCR Plus area—covering Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna—will be downgraded to GCQ starting May 15 until May 30.