NCR, 2 other areas under modified ECQ
More relaxed lockdown in other places; more businesses to reopen
The government will place the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila), Laguna, and Cebu City under “modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ)” as they remain classified as high-risk areas, while a more relaxed lockdown will be imposed in other places from May 16 to May 31 based on health and economic factors.
The decision on the classification of quarantine areas was reached during President Duterte's meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) last Monday.
“Metropolitan Manila, Laguna, and Cebu City will be under modified ECQ. Ibig sabihin ECQ pa rin bagamat may kaunting industriya na magbubukas hanggang 50 percent (It means it is still ECQ although there will be more industries allowed to operate),” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said during a virtual press briefing Tuesday. These places are still considered “high risk” of coronavirus infection.
“It is a transition phase. Pagdating ng one month, makakapunta na tayo sa GCQ (After a month, we may shift to GCQ),” he said about MECQ.
Under modified ECQ, Roque said there will be limited movement within zone for essential services and work, operation of selective manufacturing and
processing plants up to maximum of 50 percent workforce, limited transportation services for essential goods and services, and suspension of physical classes.
Roque confirmed that government offices will resume partial operations in MECQ areas. The final list of additional businesses and services that will be allowed to operate in MECQ areas may be announced Tuesday or Wednesday, he added.
More relaxed protocols
The MECQ protocols are more relaxed compared to the stringent ECQ guidelines currently enforced in Metro Manila and several areas until mid-May to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The ECQ restrictions include no movement regardless of age and health status, minimal activity except utility services and critical economic sector, no transportation activity, and suspension of physical classes.
Back in mid-March, the government declared ECQ in Metro Manila and later expanded it to cover the entire Luzon until April 15. The coronavirus lockdown covering Metro Manila and several high-risk areas has been extended until May 15.
In his briefing Tuesday, Roque said the task force also approved to implement “general community quarantine (GCQ)” in several moderate-risk places as well as lift the community quarantine in low-risk areas starting May 16. The case doubling rate, critical health care capacity and economic factors are among those considered in deciding the classification of quarantine areas.
What to expect under GCQ
In GCQ areas, Roque there will be limited movement to services and work, operation fo government offices and industries up to maximum of 75 percent workforce, limited transportation, and flexible learning arrangements for students.
Minimum health standards such as physical distancing rules must still enforced in all quarantine areas.
Roque said the lockdown greatly impacted the potentially casualty rate but “greatly affected” the economy. The local economy contracted 0.2 percent in the first quarter of the year.
The government also has limited resources and must generate resources to sustain the longdrawn fight against the coronavirus, Roque said.
He also recognized the need to balance biosafety and economy. “In the future, if no economic interventions are applied the consequences would be more damaging than the effect of COVID-19,” he said.
Under GCQ
Based on the IATF Resolution No. 35, the moderate-risk areas that will be placed under GCQ are the following:
Cordillera Administrative Region
1. Abra
2. Apayao
3. Benguet
4. Ifugao
5. Kalinga
6. Mountain Province
7. Baguio City
Region II
1. Batanes
2. Cagayan
3. Isabela
4. Nueva Vizcaya
5. Quirino
6. Santiago City Region III
1. Aurora
2. Bataan
3. Bulacan
4. Nueva Ecija
5. Pampanga
6. Tarlac
7. Zambales
8. Angeles City*
9. Olongapo City Region IV-A
1. Cavite*
2. Quezon
3. Rizal
4. Batangas City
5. Lucena City
6. Region VII:
7. Bohol
8. Cebu
9. Negros Oriental
10. Siquijor
11. Mandaue City
12. Lapu-Lapu City
Region IX
1. Zamboanga del Norte
2. Zamboanga del Sur
3. Zamboanga Sibugay
4. Zamboanga City
5. Isabela City
Region XI
1. Davao City*
2. Davao de Oro*
3. Davao del Norte
4. Davao del Sur
5. Davao Occidental
6. Davao Oriental
Region XIII
1. Agusan del Norte
2. Agusan del Sur
3. Dinagat Islands
4. Surigao del Norte
5. Surigao del Sur
6. Butuan City
No more quarantine
Low-risk areas that will no longer be under community quarantine are:
Region I
1. Ilocos Norte*
2. Ilocos Sur
3. La Union*
4. Pangasinan*
5. Dagupan City*
Region IV-B
1. Marinduque
2. Occidental Mindoro
3. Oriental Mindoro
4. Romblon
5. Palawan
6. Puerto Princesa City Region V
1. Albay*
2. Camarines Norte
3. Camarines Sur
4. Catanduanes
5. Masbate
6. Sorsogon
7. Legazpi City*
8. Naga City
Region VI
1. Aklan
2. Antique
3. Capiz
4. Guimaras
5. Iloilo
6. Negros Occidental
7. Iloilo City
8. Bacolod City Region VIII:
1. Biliran
2. Eastern Samar
3. Leyte
4. Northern Samar
5. Western Samar
6. Southern Leyte
7. Ormoc City
8. Tacloban City
Region X
1. Bukidnon
2. Camiguin
3. Lanao del Norte
4. Misamis Occidental
5. Misamis Oriental
6. Cagayan de Oro City
Region XII
1. North Cotabato
2. South Cotabato
3. Sarangani
4. Sultan Kudarat
5. General Santos City
BARMM
1. Basilan
2. Lanao del Sur
3. Magindanao
4. Suu
5. Tawi-Tawi
6. Cotabato City
The places with asterisk are among those recommended areas assuming similar risk classification prevails on May 14, 2020, according to Roque.
He said the concerned areas may appeal their classification to the IATF screening and validation committee not later than May 15.
He added that the task force will allow local government units to decide which barangays will placed under lockdown.
Virus zoning
Under the proposed general concept of zoning to facilitate the ECQ transition, Roque said areas will be classified as critical zone, containment zone, buffer zone, and outside of buffer zone.
Areas are considered critical zones if they have more than 20 cases per 100,000 population. These areas will remain under ECQ.
Containment zone has less than 19 cases and will be under MECQ.
Buffer zones are areas without cases but contiguous with localities with cases. These will be under GCQ.
Areas outside of the buffer zone have no confirmed cases of coronavirus and will be placed under modified GCQ.