BREAKING: NCR, Laguna, Cebu City placed under modified ECQ until May 31

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the proposal to place Metro Manila, Laguna province, and Cebu City under a modified enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 31.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement in a televised press briefing on Tuesday.

The movement of people in these areas—which the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases classified as “high risk” communities— will continue to be severely restricted under the extended lockdown, with most only allowed to leave their homes for provision of food and other basic necessities and in cases of emergency.

Under modified ECQ, some industries will be allowed to reopen on a limited capacity, Roque noted.

However, he said the government is still finalizing which industries will be allowed to resume operations.

The order will take effect on May 16, 2020.

Metro Manila, the country’s economic and political center, accounts for the vast majority of the country’s total COVID-19 infections.

Nationwide, there are 11,086 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease, including 1,999 recoveries and 726 deaths.

Of the total cases, 7,123 or over 62% were recorded in the National Capital Region, according to the Department of Health COVID-19 tracker.

Cebu City has 1,400 cases while Laguna has 384.

Duterte first placed Metro Manila under community quarantine on March 15, but it was upgraded a day later to an ECQ covering the entire Luzon region until April 12.

The Luzon ECQ was then extended until April 30 to further curtail the spread of the virus.

A week before it lapses, Duterte again extended the ECQ in Metro Manila and several “high-risk” areas until May 15 while “low risk” areas were placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) where some movement restrictions are relaxed.

JPV