Gov’t allows religious gatherings in MM anew, with 10% capacity

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The government is once again easing restrictions on religious gatherings in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the coronavirus disease outbreak in the country, allowing up to 10% seating capacity of churches and similar places of worship.

Religious services remain restricted in the capital region with the number of allowed participants limited to just 10 persons despite being reverted to the more lenient general community quarantine (GCQ) since Aug. 19 following a two-week modified lockdown.

In July, the government allowed religious gatherings of up to 10% of the venues’ capacity in GCQ areas.

But according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and Metro Manila mayors agreed to ease restrictions on religious activities.

“Nagkaroon po ng konting pagluwag. Dati po kasi ang request ng mga Metro Manila mayors ay hanggang sampu lamang ang religious gatherings, ngayon pumayag na sila hanggang 10 percent,” Roque said in an interview over dzBB on Tuesday.

(There had been a more relaxed restriction. Before, Metro Manila mayors requested to limit gatherings to only 10, now they agreed to have it until 10 percent.)

Metro Manila, the provinces of Bulacan and Batangas and cities of Tacloban and Bacolod will be under GCQ until September 30.

The rest of the country will be placed under the most lenient modified general community quarantine or MGCQ except for Iligan City, which will be under modified lockdown.

There are currently 220,819 confirmed coronavirus infections in the country as of Monday, of which, 157,562 have recovered while 3,558 died.

More than half or 124,077 of the total cases were recorded from Metro Manila.

JPV