AMID RISING COVID-19 CASES

MMC's Olivarez: NCR curfew hours best set at 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The best time for curfew in Metro Manila to address the increasing number of COVID-19 cases is 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., Metro Manila Council chairperson and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said Thursday.

Olivarez made the pitch ahead of the meeting of Metro Manila mayors at 5 p.m. today to address the issue. The National Capital Region has at least 9,000 active COVID-19 cases.

“10 p.m. to 4 a.m. is the best time for curfew. Why 4 a.m. and not 5 a.m.? Para po iyong mga nagtatrabaho sa call centers BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing), ‘yung transportation nila ay mas madali (This timeframe is in consideration of BPO workers so that they will have enough transportation),” Olivarez said in a CNN Philippines interview.

“Our main agenda is to have a uniform curfew hours because we are interconnected. We will have a consensus, and whatever the majority decides, we will abide by that,” he added.

In addition, Olivarez said there is no need to revert to the old policy of only allowing one person per household to buy food or medicines, given that the economy and businesses are still struggling to recover amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Pag in-apply natin ang quarantine pass, ang ekonomiya natin, hirap na hirap na. Napakaraming nawalan ng trabaho at nagsaradong negosyo (If we issue quarantine pass again…our economy is barely surviving as it is. There are so many who lost jobs and businesses that closed),” Olivarez said.

“What we need to do is full implementation of minimum health standards such as wearing of face mask, face shield, social distancing, and prohibition of gatherings of more than 10 people,” he added.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country is at 44,470. —AOL, GMA News