Dry run to be conducted on Sunday, says Roque
(Eagle News) – Starting this July 10, religious gatherings will be allowed in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) but only up to 10 percent of the worship service venue’s seating capacity, Malacanang announced today, Friday, July 3.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the announcement of what had been approved in the latest Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases meeting the previous day, in the regular Laging Handa televised press briefing on Friday.
“Pinayagan rin po ang religious gatherings, pero hanggang 10 percent lang po. At ito po ay epektibo sa July 10 sa areas na GCQ,” Roque said.
He said that a dry run would first be conducted this Sunday, but the effectivity would still be on July 10.
Roque said this is good news for those who had been waiting to attend worhip services in houses of worhip.
The Palace spokesperson also stressed the importance of strictly following minimum health standards and protocols such as handwashing, physical distancing and proper hygiene and sanitation.
In the slide that accompanied his announcement, however, one condition for allowing religious gatherings in GCQ areas was that there should be no objection from the local government unit concerned.
In areas under Modified GCQ, religious gatherings can be conducted in worship service venues provided that it is only limited to 50 percent of the seating capacity, Roque said.
Areas under GCQ from July 1 to 15 are the following: Metro Manila, Benguet, Cavite, Rizal, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Leyte, Ormoc, Southern Leyte as well as Talisay City, Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu province.
Areas that are under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) include Abra, Baguio, Ifugao, Kalinga (CAR); Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan (Ilocos Region); Cagayan, Isabela (Cagayan Valley Region); Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Angeles City (Central Luzon); Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Lucena City (Calabarzon); Palawan, Puerto Princesa City (Mimaropa); Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Naga City (Bicol Region); and Capiz, Iloilo, Iloilo City, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City (Western Visayas Region).
Cebu province (except Cebu City, Talisay City, Minglanilla and Consolacion), Bohol, Tacloban City and Negros Oriental are also under MGCQ.
In Mindanao, Zamboanga, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao City, and Davao de Oro are also under MGCQ. Cotabato and South Cotabato (Soccsksargen); Agusan del Norte and Butuan (Caraga Region); and Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao (BARMM) are placed under similar restrictions.
The rest of the country is under low-risk modified general community quarantine.
(Eagle News Service)
