NCR restrictions remain despite pilot granular lockdown – MMDA
(Photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippines Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday said that restrictions in Metro Manila will not be loosened despite the granular lockdowns in the capital region.
“I would like to correct the misimpression that luluwagan daw, we’ve eased down restrictions, it’s not true,” MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
Abalos said Metro Manila would be under general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” but later on clarified he meant that the region will still have “several restrictions.”
“Noong sinabi kong heightened restrictions, more of a description. It’s not literally iyon, it’s not that. This is technically GCQ with several restrictions. Ang mali ko lang, nagamit ko yung word na heightened restrictions. With several restrictions, these are the Alert 1, 2, 3 4,” he told INQUIRER.net.
(When I said heightened restrictions, it’s more of a description. It’s not literally that. This is technically GCQ with several restrictions. I shouldn’t have used the word heightened restrictions. It’s with several restrictions. These are the Alert Levels 1, 2, 3, 4.)
The four-level alert status will determine the capacity of businesses and activities allowed in an area, with Alert Level 1 as the most lenient and Alert Level 4 as the strictest.
It was earlier announced that Metro Manila will be downgraded to GCQ from the current modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) classification.
MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos
The region will also pilot the proposed granular lockdowns where restrictions will be imposed only on specific buildings, streets, zones by local government units.
Guidelines for the implementation of this new strategy have yet to be released by either the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) or the MMDA.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the IATF is set to meet this Tuesday to finalize the pilot granular lockdown guidelines in Metro Manila.
