CHURCH GATHERINGS DISALLOWED – PALACE
MASS gatherings for religious purposes remain prohibited, Malacañang said on Tuesday despite the easing quarantine restrictions implemented to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the decision to keep the ban on large religious gatherings was reached by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases ((IATF-EID) during a meeting on Monday.
“N aka-age nd aka hap on at nag karo on papayaganang mass gathering for religious purposes (It was included in the agenda last Monday and there was a decision not to allow mass gathering for religious purposes),” Roque said during a virtual press briefing.
Roque said the government would take into consideration certain health factors, including the doubling rate of coronavirus cases, as well as the localities’ critical care capacity, in reviewing the prohibition on mass gatherings for religious purposes.
“I cannot say when mapapayagan po‘ y an perot it ingn anna tinang d at os. Tit ingn anna tinang case doubling rate; titingnannatin ang preparedness for critical care (I cannot say when it will be allowed but we will consider the data. We will look into the case doubling rate; we will look into the preparedness for critical care),” he said.
“Per os an gay on po, hindi pa po papayaganang mass gathering for religious purposes (But for now, we will not allow mass gathering for religious purposes),” he added.
Based on IATF-EID guidelines on religious gatherings, a maximum of five people is allowed in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine and a maximum of 10 in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).
As for areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Roque said the IATF-EID had yet to decide on the maximum number of people that would be allowed inside places of worship.
President Rodrigo Duterte has placed Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Cagayan Valley, Pangasinan, Albay and Davao City under GCQ starting June 1, while the rest of the country will be under MGCQ status or the transition period for the “new normal.”