THE Inter-Agency Task Force on the Mitigation of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) failed to reach a final recommendation on what level of community quarantine should be imposed in Metro Manila and other areas in the country which continue to be under different levels of stay-at-home regulations, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday.
In a phone interview, Año said the task force was not able to come up with a decision during their meeting on Wednesday, which was their initial target to make the recommendation.
He said they will meet again on Monday and come up with a proposal, which will be submitted and discussed with President Duterte on Monday afternoon.
“There will still be consultations with the data analytics technical working group and the LGUs (local government units) concerned,” said Año.
Año said the task force is also waiting for the recommendation of the Metro Manila Council, the group composed of the 17 mayors in the National Capital Region. The MMC council is scheduled to meet today, Friday.
“By Monday morning, we will collate all the data and the result of the consultations. So 10 in the morning on Monday, we will have an IATF meeting in time for the meeting with the President in the afternoon,” he said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said President Duterte will address the nation and announce any new fresh, downgraded or stricter quarantine measures on Monday.
“Mismong si Presidente Duterte po ang haharap at kakausap sa taumbayan sa Lunes, June 15 (President Duterte himself will face the nation and talk to the people on Monday, June 15),” Roque said
Año has said there was a 50-50 chance that Metro Manila will transition to the more relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) from its current general community quarantine status.
Aside from Metro Manila, other areas in GCQ until June 15 are Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3), Calabarzon (Region 4-A), Central Visayas (Region 7), Pangasinan province, and the cities of Zamboanga, Davao, Cebu and Mandaue while the rest of the country is under MGCQ.
Roque said the DILG is now discussing its initial recommendations with concerned LGUs to give them time to appeal or present their plans of action before a final decision and recommendation is submitted to the President for his approval.
1On the data analytics presentation last Wednesday, Año said: “Metro Manila is still moderate to high risk. There are still many new cases being reported and they are scattered in different barangays.
While under GCQ, Metro Manila and Cebu City had been asked to strictly monitor their health system performance capacity and compliance with the surveillance, isolation and treatment protocols. Metro Manila is considered as the epicenter of pandemic in the country. — With Jocelyn Montemayor