Duterte likely to reveal quarantine classifications Thursday night

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce COVID-19 quarantine protocols for May 15 onward on Thursday night, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Roque made the announcement less than two days before the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, City of Santiago in Isabela, Abra, Quirino and Ifugao would expire on May 15.

MECQ protocol bans non-essential trips and partially shuts down non-essential businesses and services.

"Inaasahan natin na mag aanunsiyo ng quarantine classifications ang Presidente mamayang gabi sa talk to the people," Roque said.

[We expect the President to make an announcement on quarantine protocols tonight.]

"IATF is meeting today, and I believe the travel ban [policy] is also being discussed and could also be possibly announced by the President," he added.

The Philippines has earlier imposed a travel ban on travelers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka from entering the Philippines until May 14 amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in India caused by a new variant of coronavirus first reported there—a variant said to be more transmissible. —NB, GMA News