At least 20 areas recommended for MECQ; NCR, Bulacan, Rizal to be placed under GCQ with with some restrictions until July 15
(Eagle News) — The Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the community quarantine classifications for July, where Metro Manila, Rizal and Bulacan will still continue to be under General; Community Quarantine (GCQ) with “some restrictions” until July 15.
Health Secretary just flashed a slide containing the IATF’s recommendations during President Duterte’s Talk to the People on Monday night, June 28, for his approval.
The IATF also recommended at least 20 areas to be placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) until July 15. These areas are the following:
-Cagayan in Region 2; Apayao in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); Bataan in Region 3 (Central Luzon); Lucena City in Region 4-A; Puerto Princesa City in Region 4-B; Naga City in Region 5; Iloilo City, Iloilo in Region 6; Negros Oriental in Region 7; Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte in Region 9; Cagayan de Oro City in Region 10; Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte in Region 11; Butuan City, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Sur in CARAGA.
-GCQ with heightened restrictions-
Laguna and Cavite in Region 4-A are also recommended to be placed under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” until July 15.
-26 areas under ordinary GCQ-
Meanwhile, GCQ is recommended for the following areas:
-Baguio City and Ifugao province in CAR; Santiago City, and the provinces of Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino in Region 2; Batangas and Quezon in Region 4-A; Guimaras, Aklan, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Antique and Capiz in Region 6; Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga City in Region 9; Iligan City in Region 10; General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato and South Cotabato in Region 12; Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, and Agusan del Sur in CARAGA; and Cotabato City in BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao).
Modified GCQ is recommended for the rest of the country.
Duque asked President Duterte if he could read the areas under the new community quarantine classification as recommended by the IATF, but Duterte was not able to do so.
Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the new community quarantine classifications for July might be announced by the President in a second “Talk to the People” this week. He said that that IATF will be meeting on its recommendations with the President on Monday, and he expected that this would still have to be finalized.
Roque said that the IATF recommendation also took into consideration the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant, which could infect up to eight people at a time.
On Wednesday, June 30, the IATF approved the final community quarantine classifications for July 1-31, 2021.
The only changes are the following: deescalation of the province of Apayao in CAR from MECQ to GCQ, and Ifugao from GCQ to MGCQ from July 1 to July 15.
(Eagle News Service)