Quarantine pass no longer required in NCR under MECQ —officials

Quarantine pass is no longer required in the National Capital Region under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), officials said Friday.

According to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Benhur Abalos, under MECQ, local government units may put specific areas under lockdown as opposed to city-wide lockdowns.

"Imbes na isarado yung buong city, ipi-pinpoint na lang local government units sa tulong ng Department of Health kung ano yung mga lugar na nagsisimula ang infection at ito ay isasarado sa tinatawag na granular lockdown, doon hihigpitan ng masyado," he said in an interview on Balitanghali.

"Otherwise wala nang quarantine pass," he added.

(Instead of a city-wide lockdown, LGUs, together with the DOH, will pinpoint and close specific communities with a high number of infections. We'll be strict only in those areas. Otherwise there's no need for a quarantine pass.)

Abalos echoed Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, who in a radio interview earlier in the day said quarantine passes are no longer required when going out in Metro Manila under MECQ.

“Hindi na namin i-implement yung aming quarantine pass…Ngayon, wala na tayong quarantine pass sa MECQ [We will no longer require quarantine pass under MECQ),” said Olivarez, who chairs the Metro Manila Council.

Under the previous enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) classification, residents had to present quarantine passes to authorities when they went out to perform essential tasks like buying food or medicine.

Each household was only allowed one quarantine pass to control the number of people going out of their residences amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MMC, which is composed of 17 NCR mayors, will discuss the curfew hours under the MECQ, according to Olivarez. But for now, he said the 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. will be maintained.

Olivarez said that the liquor ban will depend on the discretion of each local government unit in the capital region.

The MMC chairperson noted that the NCR LGUs are still allowed to enforce granular lockdown in light of the spread of COVID-19 in their areas.

From ECQ, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) placed the NCR under MECQ starting August 21, 2021, until August 31, 2021, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

Under MECQ, indoor and al fresco dine-in services are still prohibited.

Personal care services including beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops and nail spas are likewise not allowed. Religious gatherings must also be limited to virtual activities. —KBK, GMA News