NCR mayors urge stricter quarantine; ready for two-week ECQ with cash aid from nat'l gov't

The mayors of the National Capital Region have agreed to ask for stricter quarantine measures from the Inter-Agency Task Force due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said.

In a statement on Wednesday night, Abalos said Metro Manila mayors are ready for a revert to an enhanced community quarantine for two weeks if the national government has available funds for the social amelioration program.

"After heeding the advice of health experts and assessment of the 17 Metro Manila mayors, it was agreed to strictly enforce the PDITR, and request at least four million vaccines to protect the NCR population against the possible spread of the dangerous Delta variant of COVID-19," Abalos said.

"Needless to say, SAP is important to address the concerns of underprivileged families as they will be the ones who will be greatly affected by the ECQ declaration," he added.

In case stricter measures will be imposed in Metro Manila, mayors requested for an allocation of at least four million vaccines in the capital region, which their local governments will administer during the two-week period.

Abalos said mayors also requested to open the vaccination to the general population without classification.

"Aggressive contact tracing, massive testing, and strict isolation would then be ramped up to further reduce COVID 19 cases in Metro Manila while waiting for the requested four million vaccines from the national government to achieve population protection as early as possible and prevent exponential growth of positive cases from Delta variant," he said.

Earlier in the day, deputy chief implementer of government pandemic task force Vince Dizon said the government is open to implementing the proposed lockdown amid the threat of the Delta variant.

The OCTA Research group has previously recommended a "circuit-breaker" lockdown in Metro Manila.

The country has so far reported 1,566,667 cases of COVID-19 including 1,484,714 recoveries and 27,401 deaths.

—NB, GMA News