BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and VICTOR REYES
PRESIDENT Duterte on Thursday night eased restrictions in Metro Manila and placed the National Capital Region (NCR), along with three other regions, two provinces, and one city under general community quarantine (GCQ) starting June 1.
The President, in a public address after meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said the GCQ will cover the NCR, the Cagayan Valley region, Central Luzon region, and the Calabarzon region, as well as the provinces of Albay and Pangasinan and the city of Davao.
Duterte said the rest of the country or provinces and cities in the country that were not mentioned will be under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
There was no mention of Cebu City and Mandaue City, which are under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 31.
Sen. Christopher Go said the fate of the other provinces and cities are still subject to review. An announcement is likely to be made on Friday through presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
Interior Secretary and task force member Eduardo Año said the IATF came up with the recommendation to place Metro Manila under GCQ on Wednesday night because “we saw the situation and condition” in the metropolis has “improved.”
Metro Manila is currently under MECQ where quarantine protocols are stricter compared to GCQ settings, where more essential establishments will be allowed to re-open and public transportation will resume, though on a limited scale.
Roque said that based on data presented by Metro Manila mayors, the doubling rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) had stayed in the same level for more than a month now and more confinement, monitoring and treatment facilities have been set up to accommodate asymptomatic patients, while serious or critical patients are treated in hospitals.
Roque reminded the public that government can raise the quarantine level back to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) if the situation gets worse and coronavirus cases rise up again.
Año said some areas that are currently under GCQ have been also recommended to transition to MGCQ because they are already “low risk” areas and because their health capacities have also improved.
Año said governors and mayors throughout the country were furnished a copy of the IATF recommendation to give them the opportunity to appeal their recommended quarantine status.
“Sigurado merong mag-a-appeal diyan. Sana maibigay nila ‘yung appeal within two days para ma-consider ulit (Surely, some will appeal. We hope they will submit their appeal within two days so we can consider it),” he said.
GENERAL COMMUNITY QUARANTINE
Under GCQ and the modified GCQ (MGCQ), the movement of and transit of people, except for leisure purposes, are allowed between GCQ and MGCQ zones, as well as in areas that are not covered by any community quarantine.
Several non-essential industries will be allowed to reopen in places under GCQ while public transport will likewise be already permitted to resume operations at reduced capacity and subject to minimum health standards.
Industries and establishments that are allowed to operate in enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) areas are also allowed to operate in GCQ areas such as public and private hospitals, health and emergency frontline services like dialysis centers, chemotherapy centers and the like; manufacturers of medicines, medical supplies, devices and equipment including suppliers; agriculture, forestry and fishery industries; and those in the delivery and courier services.
Also allowed are private establishments that provide essential goods and services; media establishments, railway-related projects accredited by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), printing presses authorized by the Bureau of Internal Revenue to print official receipts and accountable forms, repair and maintenance of machine, including computers and household fixture; and real estate activities like leasing.
Gatherings of up to 10 people are also allowed under general community quarantine.
GUIDELINES
Año said the IATF will thresh out guidelines for the reopening of industries that will be allowed to resume starting June 1, among them the operations of barber shops and saloons, which can already operate at half of their capacity under a modified GCQ (MGCQ) setup.
“We are still debating if they can re-open 20 percent under GCQ, that depends on the health standards. So we have yet to decide on that because we need a thorough study,” Año said, assuring barbers and saloon workers that “we are going to allow them to re-open very soon.”
He added that more establishments will be allowed to open except those that are related to leisure.
Año also said mass transportation will already be allowed, except traditional jeepneys while passenger buses can operate at 50 percent capacity. Domestic flights will still not be allowed under GCQ, except cargoes, special flights, military flights and sweeper flights.
He also said dine-in at restaurants are still not allowed in general quarantine areas and customers may only take out orders.
Año said barangay quarantine passes are no longer needed under GCQ.
Año said people who will go out of their homes under GCQ to buy essential items should still abide by protocols imposed by malls and other establishments.
Año said the protocols include limiting of customers inside the establishments and observing physical distancing.
As to senior citizens, Año said they are not allowed to go out under GCQ, except to buy essential goods.
“May mga seniors tayo na able pa rin at nag-wo-work, karamihan diyan mga executives sa mga private companies so maybe they can go out and report for work. (We have seniors who are still able and working, many of them are executives at private companies so maybe they can go out and report for work, ” he said.
CAPABLE
The Department of Health (DOH) expressed confidence that Metro Manila will be able to handle the potential spread of COVID-19 once it transitions to GCQ.
Speaking at a virtual press conference, Health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said: “We are confident that the minimum health standards that we have put into place and the strengthening of health systems we have accomplished can mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and adequately meet demand for healthcare services given these relaxed restrictions.”
She said it is for this very reason that they submitted their recommendation to the IATF for the easing of thee MECQ imposed in the NCR.
“We have a basis for identifying or providing recommendations based on the analysis done by our experts. But it is not just the DOH recommendation that would be factored in by the IATF,” said Vergeire.
Firstly, she pointed how the case doubling time for COVID-19 has already been prolonged from two to three days before the imposition of the ECQ in March to five days during the ECQ.
“Now, the case doubling time in the NCR and the whole Philippines is already at 7 days,” Vergeire said.
As of May 27, there are already 15,049 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with Metro Manila accounting for 9,721 of them or 65 percent.
Quezon City has the most cases in the NCR with 2,099; followed by the City of Manila with 1,122; Makati City with 647; Mandaluyong City with 632; and Parañaque City with 616.
Pasig City has a total of 489 cases; followed by Taguig City with 435; Caloocan City with 404; Pasay City with 393; Muntinlupa City with 300; San Juan City with 290; Las Piñas City with 242; and Valenzuela City with 221.
Completing the list are Marikina City with 177; Malabon City with 104; Navotas City with 103; and Pateros with 42.
On the other hand, the DOH assured that the country has adequate critical health care capacity, as evident in the availability of hospital beds and mechanical ventilators sourced from about 1,500 hospitals nationwide, as well as the established quarantine facilities nationwide.
According to the latest COVID-19 Situationer Report, there are currently 972 occupied and 1,828 available ward beds; 3,493 occupied and 6,037 available isolation beds; and 500 occupied and 803 available ICU beds.
For mechanical ventilators, there are presently 375 used and 1,586 available in different hospitals.
The DOH also pointed how there are 1,348 quarantine and isolation beds in 5 Mega Ligtas COVID-19 Facilities, namely the Philippine International Convention Center, World Trade Center, Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Ninoy Aquino Stadium, and Philippine Arena; and 48,394 beds in community-based quarantine facilities. — With Gerard Naval
