Metro Manila Council to recommend quarantine extension or downgrade on May 25

The Metro Manila Council (MMC) will meet on Monday, May 25, to discuss whether to recommend an extension or downgrade of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) which will end on May 31.

The council will decide based on the flattening of the curve of COVID-19 cases.

"Pag-uusapan pa po ito ng Metro Manila Council, five days before May 30. Ito pong ating DOH, 'yung atin pong mga consultant, titingnan po natin 'yung flattening of the curve, kung tuloy-tuloy," Metro Manila Council (MMC) chairman Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said in a 24 Oras report by JP Soriano on Friday.

The MMC, however, reminded Metro Manila residents to not be complacent and to continue following quarantine protocols, as reimposing ECQ to Metro Manila is still possible.

"Kung ifa-flattening of the curve po natin 'yan, puwedeng ibalik po tayo sa ECQ or i-continue itong ating modified na ECQ. Kailangan buksan na rin po natin ang ating economy, marami na rin pong nagugutom, walang trabaho, pero hindi po natin pupuwedeng i-discriminate o hindi bigyan ng pansin ang health concern," Olivarez said.

Olivarez said the MECQ went well, more than a week after it was imposed in Metro Manila.

"May mga apprehension na ginagawa doon, pero as of today maganda naman ang takbo po at naiwasan po natin 'yung crowding ng mga area all over Metro Manila," he said.

During the MECQ, authorities monitored the usually-crowded malls, limiting the number of people entering to maintain physical distancing.

"Ang puwede lang pong pumasok sa mall 'yun lang mga in-issue-han ng home quarantine pass, so hindi pupuwede na dalawa, tatlo, kundi particularly isang tao lang per pamilya para ma-control po natin 'yung social distancing and make it a point na sumusunod sila sa pagsusuot ng face masks," Olivarez said. —Jamil Santos/LDF, GMA News