Quarantine eased in 9 provinces after April 30

There may be easing of quarantine restrictions in nine provinces under lockdown after April 30, while areas with low-to-moderate risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contagion can expect resumption of selected industries, including transport.

The relaxing of quarantine rules is part of the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) through Resolution No.29 approved last Monday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said yesterday.

The enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status of nine provinces will be downgraded to general community quarantine (GCQ) after April 30, based on data provided by Malacañang.

These are Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Albay and Catanduanes in Luzon; Antique, Aklan and Capiz in Panay in the Visayas; and Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro in Mindanao.

Metro Manila, Central Luzon except Aurora province, Calabarzon region, Pangasinan, Benguet including Baguio City, Iloilo, Cebu and Davao will remain under ECQ until May 15.

Under ECQ, stringent quarantine measures will remain in force, including the suspension of transportation system. Only essential businesses and services are allowed to operate.

In areas that revert to GCQ from ECQ, public transport will be allowed but in reduced capacity and select establishments will be allowed to reopen subject to minimum health standards.

“Low risk areas may no longer be placed under quarantine after May 15. Moderate risk areas will remain under GCQ. The government will decide whether they will remain under GCQ,” Roque said at a press briefing yesterday.

President Duterte thanked those who have complied with quarantine measures and announced that some areas might open “partially.”

“Thank you for heeding the warnings of the government and allowing yourself to be under quarantine to protect yourselves and other people. Soon, others remain under lockdown we might open partially... construction workers and things like that,” the President said in a public address aired Monday night.

“We will go for a modified (lockdown). If we allow crowding in the LRT (Light Rail Transit), the problem won’t end. It will never end and it will bring us down and down,” he added.

Duterte urged owners of malls to ensure the safety of their workers once they resume operations.

He also urged the police to provide free rides to women, the elderly and children.

“Bring her to the boundary of the next barangay where she lives, call the police there so they can meet and for that police there to complete the journey... All the elderly, especially those carrying infants, women who are walking at night... they must be provided with transportation and that is the transportation of government,” he said.

Based on recommendation of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), almost all business activities and industries would be allowed to resume operations.

But the DTI said employers should subject their workers to COVID-19 testing and offer them free shuttle services to and from work.

Activities involving group gatherings like masses or sports events will still be prohibited under GCQ.

“(The recommendation is) subject to final approval. We expect the final approval tomorrow (April 29)... But (DTI) Secretary (Ramon) Lopez is confident more or less there will be no objections. If there are any, maybe one or two items only,” Roque said.

For the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), priority infrastructure projects in areas under GCQ should be allowed to resume.

In a presentation at the Listong Ugnayan virtual forum hosted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua said special provisions have been recommended for the operation of malls and resumption of projects covered by the Build, Build, Build program once quarantine restrictions are relaxed.

Chua said projects that “have the maximum impact” would be prioritized for starting or resumption.

With reduced vehicle traffic during community quarantine, such projects could be implemented more smoothly.

“There are 865 malls in this country and these are like mini-economies,” said Chua.

To prevent people from lingering inside malls, air-conditioning temperature would be increased to 26 degrees and free WiFi would be removed.

“We have to talk about managing the use of public transport but in general, tricycles cannot have more than four passengers and buses and jeepneys cannot be crowded anymore. The capacity must be significantly reduced,” said Chua.

“We should be able to flatten the curve while strengthening the capacity of the health sector. There is a need to balance health and the economy; the ECQ buys us time,” said Chua.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, for his part, said the public can expect better conditions in three months or as quarantine measures are gradually relaxed.

“Gradually we are relaxing some restrictions and probably in one, two or three months from now we will be better and without imposing a lockdown,” he said in an interview over ANC.

But he warned the public against letting its guard down.

“I think we will continue to confront this virus the whole of 2020,” Año said.

“As long as there is no vaccine or cure, will continue to make sure that we are on guard,” Año said. “The restriction is being lifted gradually so the people can adapt to the new normal.” –