Metro Manila to remain under MECQ until September 7 —Roque

The National Capital Region (NCR) will remain under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until September 7, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced Saturday.

In a statement, Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has decided to retain the second most stringent quarantine status in Metro Manila along with 15 other areas in the country.

The MECQ status will also be retained in the following areas:

Luzon:

• Apayao
• Ilocos Norte
• Bulacan 
• Bataan 
• Cavite
• Lucena City
• Rizal
• Laguna 

Visayas:

• Aklan
• Iloilo Province 
• Iloilo City 
• Lapu-Lapu City
• Cebu City
• Mandaue City in Region 7 for the Visayas

Mindanao:

• Cagayan de Oro City 

According to Roque, NCR, Bataan and Laguna will have “added restrictions” on dining and personal care services as well as religious activities.

MECQ is the “transition phase” between enhanced community quarantine, the strictest, and the less strict general community quarantine (GCQ).

GCQ

The following areas will be placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions:

Luzon:

• Ilocos Sur
• Cagayan
• Quezon
• Batangas
• Naga City 

Visayas:

• Antique
• Bacolod City
• Capiz 
• Cebu Province
• Negros Oriental

Mindanao:

• Zamboanga del Sur
• Misamis Oriental
• Davao City
• Davao del Norte
• Davao Occidental 
• Davao de Oro 
• Butuan City

Meanwhile, the GCQ quarantine status will be implemented in the following areas:

Luzon:

• Baguio City
• Santiago City
• Quirino
• Isabela
• Nueva Vizcaya
• Tarlac
• Puerto Princesa

Visayas:

• Guimaras
• Negros Occidental

Mindanao:

• Zamboanga Sibugay
• Zamboanga City
• Zamboanga del Norte 
• Davao Oriental 
• Davao del Sur 
• General Santos City
• Sultan Kudarat
• Sarangani
• North Cotabato
• South Cotabato 
• Agusan del Norte-
• Agusan del Sur
• Surigao del Norte
• Surigao del Sur
• Dinagat Islands 
• Cotabato City

The rest of the areas will be placed under modified GCQ or the least stringent lockdown classification in the country.

“This latest community quarantine classification shall take effect beginning September 1 until September 7, 2021, pending a change in community quarantine guidelines,” Roque said.

Earlier, Malacañang had published the list of activities allowed and prohibited under each quarantine classification. —KG, GMA News