Most Parts of Philippines Remain Under MGCQ

As the government plans to allow the reopening of more industries for the country’s economic recovery, President Rodrigo Duterte has decided to place most parts of the country under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

In a virtual presser aired on state-run PTV-4 today, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Batangas, and Quezon would be placed under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from August 16 to 31, along with the cities of Iloilo, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, and Talisay and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu province.

“Ang iba’t ibang lugar po ng Pilipinas ay mapapasailalim po sa Modified General Community Quarantine or MGCQ (The rest of the country will be placed under MGCQ),” Roque said, adding that the President approved the new quarantine classifications last night.

He said some provinces, highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities in areas under MGCQ should ensure the “strict enforcement of local action.”

Roque said the National Task Force and the Department of the Interior and Local Government have been directed to ensure that areas flagged for local action would implement the strict lockdown of areas in line with the Zoning Containment Strategy.

Areas flagged for local action should also implement the “strict” enforcement of minimum public health standards, as well as “intensified” tracing and quarantine of close contacts and isolation of confirmed cases, he added.

Despite the more relaxed quarantine status in most parts of the country, Roque said “localized” lockdowns would still be strictly implemented in some areas under GCQ and MGCQ that have high cases of Covid-19.

“Maski sa mga lugar na nasa ilalim na ng GCQ at pati nga yung mga nasa ilalim ng MGCQ, magkakaroon pa rin po tayo ng localized ECQ. So wala po talagang katapusan ang ECQ dahil ang ating ECQ ngayon, localized or granular (There will still be localized ECQ in areas under GCQ and MGCQ. So ECQ, be it localized or granular, will not end),” he said.

Roque said Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will remain under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until August 18.
The new community quarantine classifications for these areas will be announced by Duterte on Monday, he said.*