Galvez: No lifting of COVID-19 quarantine protocols for the time being

The National Task Force Against COVID-19 is not recommending the lifting of community quarantine in any part of the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its chief, Carlito Galvez Jr., on Monday.

"Sa ngayon po, kailangan po sumailalim sa may quarantine control pa rin kasi po dapat dahan-dahan, hinay-hinay, unti-unti [ang pagli-lift]. Kung magkakaroon po tayo ng new classification na new normal, there will be a possibility na mawala ang vigilance ng adjacent provinces,” Galvez said during a televised briefing.

"Kaya po nakapagdesisyon po tayo na ang threshold po ay MGCQ (modified general community quarantine) po muna para sabay-sabay po tayo mapunta sa new normal," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte will announce on Tuesday the quarantine classifications that will be implemented starting next month, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at the same briefing.

The Philippines has registered 35,455 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 9,686 recovered while 1,244 died.

Back on May 12, the government lifted quarantine protocols in 41 provinces and 11 cities considered low risk for COVID-19, but such policy has since been reversed in less than a day.

As of June 29, only Cebu City is under enhanced community quarantine while its neighboring city of Talisay is under modified ECQ. The rest of the country is either under general community quarantine or modified GCQ.

According to forecast made by a group of experts, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines may reach more than 60,000 by July 31. The death toll, meanwhile, may climb to 1,300 by that time.

Galvez said they are "assessing" the study. —KBK/RSJ, GMA News