Zamora: NCR may shift to MGCQ if there is stable decline in COVID cases

San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora. File photo from his Facebook account

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila’s quarantine status may shift to the modified general community quarantine if there is a stable decrease in new coronavirus disease cases in the region, San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said Tuesday.

“When we were coming from a very low number, we slowly reopened and then the positive or active cases increased. When we reached a number, wherein there were days positive cases reached 7,000 a day, we have to do the reverse. We have to pull down the numbers which is a lot more difficult but we were able to achieve this,” Zamora said over ABS-CBN News Channel in response to a question on the criteria needed to place the National Capital Region under a less restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

“That means that the interventions we are doing are working. And all we want to see is, the numbers to go down in a stable manner and then, eventually we can shift to MGCQ,” Zamora added.

Zamora also noted that the people are realizing that they can live with the coronavirus disease as they are “getting used to” the lockdown rules under general community quarantine (GCQ).

“People are getting used to the imposed health protocols and guidelines. Before they would hesitate but now, they realize that we can actually live with the virus. We can actually continue to live our lives, go out, work, without really having to worry about getting infected because the numbers are going down not just in San Juan but the entire Metro Manila,” the San Juan mayor said.

“I believe what metro mayors want to see is a stable decline in the numbers so that if and when we see that indeed the numbers continue to go down, then eventually we allow some businesses to reopen. We are just being very careful,” he added.

On Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Metro Manila will stay under a less stringent GCQ for the whole month of October.

As of Monday, the Department of Health reported a nationwide total COVID-19 tally of 307,288. This number includes 252,665 recoveries and 5,381 fatalities.

JPV