Gov't places Metro Manila under GCQ from September 8-30, 2021
Metro Manila will be under general community quarantine (GCQ) from September 8 to 30 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Malacañang announced on Monday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said granular lockdown will be pilot tested in Metro Manila during the GCQ period although "there is no guidelines yet."
"There are no guidelines yet since the Inter-Agency Task Force is yet to adopt a Resolution on granular lockdown," Roque said, referring to the government's policy-making body in addressing the pandemic.
Roque said details regarding granular lockdowns will be issued on Tuesday.
Metro Manila was placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) -- the strictest quarantine classification -- from August 6 to 20 amid surge of the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant.
The quarantine classification has been downgraded to modified ECQ (MECQ) which will be in effect until September 7. MECQ partially allows non-essential services to operate.
The daily number of COVID-19 cases in the country has breached the 20,000 mark for the last three days.
Granular lockdowns
Roque said movement restrictions will also be imposed under granular lockdowns even on authorized persons outside residence (APOR).
"Iyong APOR po, you can leave but you cannot go back. Wala na pong APOR na labas pasok. Magbibigay po tayo ng ayuda sa mga granular lockdown, pati pagkain, ibibigay ng gobyerno. Iyon po ang bagong feature, inaasahan po natin na magiging mas epektibo ito," he said.
(APOR cannot go back and forth to their homes. We will grant aid, including food. Those are the new features that is why we expect this to be more effective.)
"That is the nature of piloting it. To see if it will work," Roque added.
In a separate online briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said granular lockdowns will help the government focus its efforts on high-risk areas for COVID-19 and promote economic activity.
Vergeire said their analysis of COVID-19 data found that cases were usually concentrated in a few barangays.
Earlier, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez suggested that the granular lockdown would be better for the economy, which has been suffering due to restrictive community quarantine.
He also said that under granular lockdown, more businesses will be allowed to operate, even as COVID-19 safety protocols are strictly enforced.
Vergeire said granular lockdowns would help the government enhance its active case finding, intensify testing, and ensure immediate isolation of cases.
She said they are now revising their case projections to include the potential impact of granular lockdowns.
Quarantine classifications
Meanwhile, based on the latest IATF resolution, the quarantine classifications of different areas in the country is as follows:
MECQ
- Apayao
- Bataan,
- Bulacan
- Cavite,
- Lucena City,
- Rizal,
- Laguna
- Iloilo province,
- Iloilo City
- Cagayan de Oro City
GCQ with heightened restrictions
- Ilocos Sur
- Ilocos Norte
- Cagayan
- Pangasinan
- Quezon
- Batangas
- Naga City
- Antique
- Bacolod City
- Capiz
- Cebu province
- Lapu-Lapu City
- Negros Oriental
- Zamboanga del Sur
- Misamis Oriental
- Davao City
- Davao Del Norte
- Davao de Oro
- Davao Occidental
- CARAGA
- Butuan City
GCQ
- Baguio City
- Kainga
- Abra
- Benguet
- Dagupan City
- City of Santiago
- Quirino
- Isabela
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Tarlac
- Occidental Mindoro
- Puerto Princesa
- Aklan
- Guimaras
- Negros Occidental
- Cebu City
- Mandaue City
- Zamboanga Sibugay
- Zamboanga City
- Zamboanga del Norte
- Misamis Occidental
- Iligan City
- Davao Oriental
- Davao del Sur
- General Santos City
- Sultan Kudarat
- Sarangani
- North Cotabato
- South Cotabato
- Agusan del Norte
- Agusan del Sur
- Dinagat Islands
- Surigao del Norte
- Surigao del Sur
- Cotabato City
- Lanao del Sur
The rest of the country will be under modified GCQ. —KBK, GMA News