Palace: Religious gatherings allowed at 50 percent capacity in MGCQ areas

MANILA, Philippines — Religious gatherings are now allowed at 50 percent capacity in areas under a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“Kahapon po, sa mga lugar na MGCQ, pupuwede na pong magkaroon ng mass gatherings para sa religious purposes pero po hanggang 50 percent lamang ng seating capacity,” Roque said in an online briefing.

(Areas under MGCQ are now allowed to have mass gatherings for religious purposes until 50 percent of the seating capacity.)

“Binalanse po natin yung risk na ikalat ang COVID-19 doon sa datos sa mga MGCQ. At ang konklusyon naman is baka pupuwede baka 50 percent naman, puwede mag social distancing,” he added.

(We balanced the risk of spreading COVID-19 to the data in areas under MGCQ. The conclusion was that 50 percent is allowed since social distancing can be observed.)

Earlier, the IATF decided to keep the prohibition on mass gatherings for religious activities even after it met with religious leaders.

According to the task force’s guidelines on religious gatherings, a maximum of 10 in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).

Religious gatherings were prohibited after the government imposed lockdown measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in mid-March.

Excluding Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Pangasinan, Albay, Western Visayas, Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Davao City which are all under GCQ, the rest of the country was placed under MGC starting June 1.

/MUF