Laguna, Iloilo City, CDO shift to MECQ; 2 others still in ECQ

Laguna, Iloilo City, and Cagayan de Oro City, previously under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), are set to de-escalate to the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) starting Monday, August 16, 2021, leaving Metro Manila and the province of Bataan in the list of areas under strict lockdown.

Bulacan, however, escalated from General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions to MECQ.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque bared this

amid the rising number of cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the continued spread of the more contagious Delta variant in various parts of the country.

In a statement, Roque said President Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to de-escalate the classification of Laguna, Iloilo City, and Cagayan de Oro City from ECQ to MECQ beginning August 16 until August 31, 2021.

The National Capital Region will stay under ECQ until August 20, 2021, while Bataan will continue to be under strict lockdown until August 22, 2021.

On August 12, Roque said the Palace is one with the people who are calling for the de-escalation of Metro Manila's risk classification but said it cannot place the people's lives in danger.

“We all want a lesser quarantine classification na mas marami pong taong makapagtrabaho. Pero ang desisyon nga po natin is total health (so many people can go to work but our decision is based on total health),” he said.

“Hindi naman natin papayagan na tuluyang magkasakit ang ating mga kababayan na hindi tayo handang gamutin ang mga seryoso at kritikal na magkakasakit (We cannot let the people get sick if we are not prepared to treat those who will be in severe and critical conditions),” he added.

He, however, said it was still early to decide on Metro Manila's fate.

“Titignan naman natin ang datos sa takdang panahon. Pero matagal pa po, abente pa po ang katapusan ng ECQ dito sa Metro Manila (We will look at the data when the right time comes. But we're not there yet, the ECQ in Metro Manila will end on the 20th),” he said.