Metro Manila wary of COVID-19 Delta variant but ready to shift to MGCQ — MMDA

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila is ready to transition to a less stringent quarantine status, but thorough preparations must be carried out and agreed upon by local chief executives due to the COVID-19 Delta variant, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos Jr. said Thursday.

“Handa naman kami. Pero paguusapan namin husto nito, ang preparasyon nito. Mag-memeeting kami ng mga alkalde dahil of course, we have this Delta variant,” Abalos said in a televised briefing when asked if Metro Manila is ready to shift to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

(We are ready. But the preparation for this needs to be discussed thoroughly. We will meet with the local chief executives about it because of course, we have this Delta variant.)

“What is important right now is successful ang ating national government, ang ating mga alkalde na nacalibrate nila nang maigi at nabalanse ang kalusugan ng mga tao,” he added.

(What’s important right now is that the national government and our mayors were successful in calibrating and balancing the health of the people.)

A total of 17 cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant, said to be more transmissible, have so far been detected in the Philippines.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua earlier said that the declining number of COVID-19 cases would allow an MGCQ status in Metro Manila.  

This, after Metro Manila was tagged by the Department of Health as a “low risk” area for COVID-19.

Metro Manila will be under general community quarantine with some restrictions from July 1 to July 15.

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