Gov’t yet to decide whether to ease restrictions on religious gatherings — Roque

The government has yet to decide whether to ease restrictions on religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang said Thursday.

“Sa ngayon po, wala pa pong desisyon. Hindi pa rin po natin pinapayagan ang pagpupulong for religious purposes,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised briefing.

Government officials focused on COVID-19 response had a dialogue early this week with religious groups regarding the proposal that will allow places of worship to reopen as long as social distancing is observed.

“Bagama’t natuloy po iyong konsultasyon natin sa mga iba’t ibang mga simbahan at natutuwa naman po ang mga um-attend na IATF [members] dahil detalyado po ang kanilang mga proposals at mukha naman pong pupuwedeng ipatupad po iyan,” Roque said.

He said the issue on religious gatherings might be discussed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) next week.

“Hintayin lang po natin ang desisyon ng IATF,” Roque said.

At present, only five people could attend a religious gathering in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine and 10 people in places under general community quarantine, according to the guidelines issued by the government. —Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News