Duterte to reveal May quarantine protocols on Wednesday —Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to announce quarantine protocols for the month of May, including in the NCR Plus bubble, on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.

"Baka si Presidente na po ang mag anunsiyo dahil meron to po siyang Talk to the People sa Wednesday [The President may be the one to make the announcement on Wednesday during his Talk to the People],” Roque said in a Palace briefing.

The modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) protocol currently in effect in the National Capital Region and the adjacent provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan and Rizal is set to expire on April 30. Prior to this, these areas were placed under ECQ, the strictest lockdown classification, for two weeks beginning March 29.

"Bukas po ang ibibigay ang recommendation kay Presidente. Tinitignan po natin iyong daily attack rate, two-week attack rate and our health care utilization,” Roque added.

(The recommendation of experts will be given to the President tomorrow. They will consider daily attack rate, two-week attack rate and our health care utilization.)

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is set to meet on Tuesday to discuss recommendations on the next quarantine classifications for NCR and the four provinces.

Roque said that while the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country is already nearing one million mark, it should be noted that over 900,000 people have recovered and that the country’s case fatality rate is lower than the average world case fatality rate.

"Huwag lang po nating tignan iyong total. Tignan rin natin iyong datos na gumagaling, 'yung case fatality rate natin ay 1.7% compared sa average na 2.1%,” Roque pointed out.

(Let us not focus on the total number of cases. Let us also look at the number of recoveries and the fact that our case fatality rate is 1.7%, which is lower compared to the 2.1% average.)

Roque added that reaching the one-million mark total "is not a negative reflection on us. We have been managing the new [COVID-19] variants rather well." —KBK, GMA News