[ad_1]
MANILA, Philippines – Only certain parts of the National Capital Region, which account for the majority of COVID-19 cases in the country, can be placed in General Community Quarantine (GCQ) after May 15, according to presidential spokesman Harry. Roque.
The other areas of the metropolis, which is made up of 16 cities and one municipality, will remain under the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Roque said at the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.
The decision of the Inter-institutional Working Group for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) would depend on the severity of the contagion in specific locations, he explained.
MORE DAYS LIKE THIS? Police checkpoints will remain on the borders between cities and towns, even if the enhanced community quarantine is lifted and the less restrictive general community quarantine is implemented in various areas of Metro Manila after May 15. (Photo by CHILD JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
There is no final decision yet
Roque reminded the public of the pronouncement of the Secretary of the Interior, Eduardo Año, that localities with a large number of cases would not be placed under GCQ.
“There is no final decision, but all Metro Manila would not be under GCQ and all Metro Manila would not remain under ECQ,” said Roque.
The Department of Health (DOH) reported that Metro Manila has 6,916 cases with 506 deaths and 1,316 who had recovered from severe respiratory illness as of Saturday.
Nationally, the total was 10,610 cases, with 704 deaths and 1,842 recoveries.
The IATF-EID will present its recommendations on where the ECQ can be raised to President Duterte on Monday, Roque said.
The president extended the month-long ECQ in Metro Manila from May 1 to 15.
‘Slow but safe’
Senator Richard Gordon, who also heads the Philippine Red Cross, said he preferred a selective ECQ lift.
In a radio interview on Saturday, he said he would prefer that the reopening of quarantined places be done “slowly but surely.”
“It would be very, very selective,” Gordon said.
He noted that Manila, for example, still had many cases.
Intensifying mass testing, including by the Red Cross, is crucial in determining whether the country had flattened the curve or whether it contained the spread of the new coronavirus, Gordon added.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged local governments to pass ordinances that specify their own guidelines for the “new normal” before the blockade is lifted.
The guidelines could include bans on mass gatherings and continued observance of physical estrangement, Gatchalian said.
3 options of mayors
The 17 mayors who make up the Metro Manila Council met on Saturday to discuss the level of quarantine they wanted for the capital after the expiration of the extended ECQ, but could not agree on a single recommendation to the IATF-EID.
Instead, they decided to let the working group decide on one of the three options they had “unanimously agreed” to present to the ad hoc government agency in charge of measures to contain the contagion, according to Jojo García, general manager of Metro Manila. Development authority.
The first option was to extend the ECQ until May 30. The second was the laxest GCQ, and the third was a “modified” GCQ where local executives would be allowed to block certain barangays when necessary.
A barangay with “too many cases” would be closed, Garcia explained. “If there are barangays where there are no new cases, we can reopen them.” he said.
But because Metro Manila is a contiguous area, “you cannot close a city, [so] This could be difficult to implement, ”said García.
Representatives of the Philippine National Police and DOH attended the meeting.
COUNTY CITIES Mayors who sit as members of the Metro Manila Council meet through Zoom for five hours on Saturday to discuss the level of quarantine restrictions that may be imposed on the national capital after May 15. Also participating in the online meeting are the police and health officials – SCREEN COURTESY OF THE MANILA METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Health or economy?
Previously, it was thought that the council would decide only one recommendation. But balancing public health and the economy was a challenge for mayors, who were forced to consider the reality that “some people may not die from the virus, but hunger will kill them,” said Garcia.
Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City, the hardest hit town in Metro Manila with 1,523 cases, wanted her city to be allowed to switch to a “transition period” to GCQ after May 15.
“While the health of our residents remains our top priority, we must also take care of the local economy, which has been severely affected by the dreaded virus,” Belmonte said.
Health, security measures.
She said certain measures would be taken for the health and safety of workers and customers before local companies could operate again.
They include requiring establishments to verify the health status of their employees prior to their return to work, facilitate testing and quarantine of workers as necessary, thermal scanning and social distancing in the workplace, and scheduling of disinfection.
There will be daily cleaning by staff plus an all day shutdown for more complete disinfection by the local government.
Local companies will also need to report their production capabilities and workforce requirements.
For more news on the new coronavirus, click here.
What you need to know about the coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
Read below
EDITOR’S SELECTION
MOST READ
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and over 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4 a.m. and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
[ad_2]
