(Eagle News) — Metro Manila, Laguna and Cebu City shall be placed under a so-called “Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine starting May 16 where strict lockdown measures will be implemented but there would be some essential industries to be allowed with 50 percent workforce, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Tuesday, May 12.
These areas are considered under a Red Zone where barangays with high COVID-19 cases will also be classified as either a “critical zone” or “containment zone.” Critical zones are barangays with more than 20 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population, while containment zones are barangays surrounding critical zones which have 1 to 19 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population.
These areas will be under strict ECQ protocols “as we know it,” Roque said.
Roque described a modified ECQ as a situation where there would still be the usual ECQ protocols, but there are some industries that will be allowed to operate with a 50 percent workforce.
These are essential industries that had earlier been announced by Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) but will be finalized either today or tomorrow.
“There will be barangays or zones which will remain under ECQ,” Roque said referring to the critical or high risk barangays where COVID-19 cases remain high.
Under IATF Resolution No. 35, local government units are also allowed to place under lockdown barangays which have sudden high incidence of COVID cases. They will be utilizing the so-called “risk thresholds” to be confirmed by the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force per Executive Order 112.
-GCQ areas (orange zones) starting May 16-
Malacanang also announced the areas to be placed under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and those which will no longer be under community quarantine protocols.
The GCQ areas are considered orange zones, while those with lifted quarantine protocols are considered green zones.
These are the areas considered under GCQ from May 16 to 31:
Luzon:
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Baguio City.
Region 2: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Santiago City
Region 3: Auroral, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, Olongapo City.
The government, however, will be assessing the situation of Angeles City by May 14.
In Visayas:
Region 7: Bohol, Cebu (except for Cebu City), Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City.
In Mindanao, these are under GCQ:
Region 9: Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga City and Isabela City.
Region 11: Davao City and Davao de Oro (but both to be assessed again on May 14), Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental.
Region 13 (CARAGA): Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Butuan City.
-Green zones where quarantine protocols are lifted-
The so-called green zones are the areas in the country which are not under Modified ECQ, nor under GCQ. They are the areas where quarantine protocols are lifted effective May 16. These are the following:
In Luzon:
Region 1: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City (but these are under the assumption that the same conditions would be prevailing by May 14)
Region 4-B: Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan including Puerto Princesa City.
Region 5: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon, Legazpi City, and Naga City. Of these areas, Albay and Legazpi City will be assessed again on May 14 if the low-risk conditions stay the same.
In Visayas:
Region 6: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Bacolod City
Entire Region 7
Region 8: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormor City and Tacloban City
In Mindanao:
Region 10: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Orienta, Cagayan de Oro City
Region 12: North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, General Santos City
BARMM: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City.
But Roque said that these areas should not be complacent as the COVID-19 virus, SARS-COV2, is an unseen enemy.
(Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Kindly refresh for updates)
