Cebu City, 8 other areas to be under GCQ on Aug. 16; NCR quarantine to be announced Monday

Malacañang on Saturday announced the quarantine classifications that will be implemented all over the country in the next two weeks.

In a virtual briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) decision for quarantine measures beginning August 16 until August 31.

The following areas will be under General Community Quarantine (GCQ):

• Nueva Ecija
• Batangas
• Iloilo City
• Cebu City
• Lapu Lapu City
• Mandaue City
• Talisay City
• Municipality of Minglanilla in Cebu
• Municipality of Consolacion in Cebu

“The rest of the country are placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), with some provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities with strict enforcement of local action,” Roque said.

Meanwhile, the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) classification of the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal will be announced by President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, August 17, a day before the expiration of the lockdown measure on the said areas on August 18.

"Ang quarantine classification ng National Capital Region, probinsiya ng Bulacan, probinsiya ng Cavite, Laguna, at Rizal ay iaanunsiyo ng ating Presidente galing sa Davao sa darating na Lunes," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual briefing on Saturday.

To recall, Duterte placed Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan under MECQ from August 4 to 18 following pleas from the medical community for a “time out” amid rising COVID-19 cases being admitted to hospitals.

'Strict lockdown'

“The National Task Force (NTF) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) are directed to ensure that areas flagged for local action shall implement strict lockdown of areas in line with the Zoning Containment Strategy, strict enforcement of minimum public health standards, and intensified tracing and quarantine of close contacts and isolation of confirmed cases,” Roque said.

The Palace official also clarified that whatever quarantine classification is in place, whether GCQ or MGCQ, localized ECQs can still be implemented.

“So wala po talagang katapusan ang ECQ dahil ang ating ECQ ngayon, localized or granular. So pagdating po sa Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal kahit ano pa pong CQ iyan, patuloy pa rin po ang ating localized at granular lockdowns. Ang diperensiya, lalo po nating hihigpitan,” he said.

“At ngayon nga po ang hinahabol natin iyong mga clusters ng sakit ‘no. Iyong mga clusters ng COVID kung nasasaan sila, iyan po talaga ang ila-lockdown, hindi nga lang po iyong buong siyudad, hindi nga lang po iyong buong probinsya kung hindi iyong lugar kung nasaan naroroon po ang mga clusters,” Roque added.

Under the Omnibus Guidelines of the Community Quarantine in the Philippines, ECQ refers to the "implementation of temporary measures imposing stringent limitations on movement and transportation of people, strict regulation of operating industries, provision of food and essential services, and heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce community."

GCQ refers to the implementation of temporary measures limiting movement and transportation, regulation of operating industries, and presence of uniformed personnel to enforce community quarantine protocols.

MGCQ refers to the transition phase between GCQ and the New Normal, when temporary measures are relaxed: limiting movement and transportation regulation of operating industries, and presence of uniformed personnel to enforce community quarantine protocols become less necessary.

MGQC was divided into two categories: one which requires “strict local action” including zoning, localized community quarantine, strict enforcement or minimum health standards, and scale up of health systems; and the other category, which classifies areas as “low risk.”

On Friday, the Philippines recorded 153,660 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of this number, 71,405 recovered while 2,442 died. 

There are also 79,813 active cases undergoing treatment or quarantine. Of this, 91.1% are mild, 7.3% are asymptomatic, 0.6% are severe, and 1.0% are in critical condition. —KG, GMA News