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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) – The local chief executives of the National Capital Region recommended extending the general community quarantine status (GCQ) in Metro Manila throughout the month of October, revealed on Monday the mayor of the city of San Juan, Francis Zamora.
The 17 mayors met with various members of the Interagency Task Force on Sunday to present their recommendation for the announcement of the next round of quarantine status.
Zamora conveyed that it was the “consensus” to put the capital region back under GCQ. He said it is no longer about choosing between health or economics during the COVID-19 pandemic, but about finding the perfect balance on how to help companies recover from what he called the “economic crisis” while protecting the public from the contagious virus that has infected more than 300,000 Filipinos.
“Now it’s health and the economy,” he told CNN Philippines. “So now it is preparing to open up additional operational capabilities of the companies. Even if we maintain the status of GCQ, it is possible to continue slowly increasing the operational capacity, that is, the number of people who can work, the number of clients that establish may allow entry. So these are now being prepared. “
Jojo García, general manager of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), said that Commerce Secretary Ramón López, who was present during the meeting, proposed allowing select establishments to increase their operational capacity, which will give workers more opportunities to earn money.
The Cabinet secretary said this is a good “alternative” compared to facilitating quarantine triage to the more relaxed modified GCQ. He said some sectors, such as legal and accounting firms and other services in the film industry, should be able to adjust from 50 percent of operating capacity to a full operation.
“Kahit GCQ pa rin tayo but at least we opened the economy a little more,” Lopez said during a Senate budget hearing on Monday. “That is also a good alternative (to MGCQ) … That can be done from 50% to 100% of operational capacity to allow more workers na makabalik sa kanilang mga work. That would be helpful.”
[Translation: Even if we stay under GCQ, at least we can open the economy more, that is a good alternative. That can be made from 50% to 100% operating capacity to allow more workers to return to work.]Metro Manila has been under GCQ since June 1, excluding the two-week return to a more stringent modified enhanced community quarantine in the first half of August. Under GCQ, public transportation can operate at reduced capacity and most industries can open.
Zamora said the GCQ should be extended to sustain the declining number of new COVID-19 cases in the region. This is the same position as the University of the Philippines researchers, who noted that Metro Manila showed a decrease of more than 50 percent in its daily cases compared to five weeks ago. They were quick to emphasize that the country may lose its profits with a “premature” easing of the modified GCQ.
“We would be careful not to move to MGCQ yet because we are not fully cured yet,” UP OCTA member Professor Guido David told CNN Philippines on September 26.
The recommendation of the mayors of Metro Manila will go through the IATF. He will make the proposal to President Rodrigo Duterte, who is set to announce his final decision on the fate of the region this week.
The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed 304,226 COVID-19 cases in the country, including 252,510 recoveries and 5,344 deaths. Health spokeswoman María Rosario Vergeire said that the (DOH) has noticed a downward trend in the cases registered daily in the country.
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