Metro Manila to remain under GCQ, Taguig Mayor Cayetano says

Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano on Wednesday said that Metro Manila would remain under general community quarantine by February.

Metro Manila mayors held a meeting on Tuesday night to come up with a recommendation to the Inter-Agency Task Force as regards the next quarantine status of the region. The National Capital Region is under GCQ until January 31.

"Ang pagkakaalam ko, mananatiling GCQ ang Metro Manila at 'yan din naman sa ngayon ang kagustuhan ng Metro Manila mayors. But [the] Metro Manila Council, through our GM Jojo Garcia, will make the official announcement," Cayetano said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

"Pero sa ngayon ho, happy ho tayo na manatili na GCQ muna ang Metro Manila," he added.

Cayetano said maintaining GCQ in Metro Manila would help in preventing spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases. 

"With that information and containing any possible surge, I agree that we maintain the GCQ. Pero sa loob naman ng GCQ we are given authority... 'yung mga LGUs na paunti-unti magkaroon ng realization sa teritoryo nila batay sa ano kaya naming i-enforce," he said in a separate press conference. 

IATF to make announcement

At a press conference on Tuesday night, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority general manager Jojo Garcia did not specify the council's recommendation on the next quarantine status, saying the IATF should announce it.

Garcia, however, said the new coronavirus variant is one of the major factors that was considered in deciding if Metro Manila will stay under GCQ or not.

Garcia said health experts have been consulted regarding this matter.

The Philippines has recorded a total of 516,166 COVID-19 infections, with 475,423 recoveries and 10,386 fatalities as of Tuesday. —RSJ/KG, GMA News