Outdoor exercises in Metro Manila will be allowed starting August 21

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MANILA, Philippines — Outdoor exercises will already be allowed beginning Saturday, August 21, in the National Capital Region (NCR), according to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos.

Abalos said the resolution that prohibits Metro Manila residents from doing their fitness activities outdoors would lapse Friday, August 20, the end of the reimposed enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) restriction in the nation’s capital region.

The national government’s pandemic task force has changed NCR’s quarantine status to modified ECQ (MECQ) from August 21-31.

“Hence, outdoor exercises in NCR will be allowed for the period of MECQ starting tomorrow, August 21, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. only,” he said in a statement.

But Abalos said the Metro Manila-wide “unified curfew hours” of 8 p.m to 4 a.m will stay in effect until further notice.

On Thursday, the Department of Health reported that confirmed COVID-19 infections nationwide are nearing 1.8 million as it logged another peak record of 14, 895 new cases.

The agency also said that the country currently has a 23.8 percent positivity rate based on the 59,828 tests conducted on August 17.

COVID-19 active cases in the Philippines stood at 111, 720 as of August 19, it added.

KGA