Pilot implementation of GCQ with alert level system deferred, Roque says
(Eagle News) — Metro Manila will remain under a modified enhanced community quarantine until Sept. 15 or until the pilot general community quarantine with an alert level system is implemented, “whichever comes first,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
Roque made the statement as he announced the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) deferred the pilot implementation of the GCQ with granular lockdowns it earlier announced would take effect in Metro Manila starting Sept. 8.
The deferment came days after the Department of Health said the entire Metro Manila, except for Manila, is under a COVID-19 alert level 4 due to the continued increase in COVID-19 cases and its high hospital bed utilization.
It also came a day after the Philippines registered its all-time high of 22,415 new COVID-19 infections.
On Tuesday, Sept. 7, the Department of Health reported over 18,000 more COVID-19 cases.
Under the MECQ, Roque said indoor and al-fresco dine-in services and personal care services will remain.
Religious gatherings can be done online, Roque said.
According to Roque, only immediate family members are allowed to attend wakes, funerals, among others, if the deceased died of non-COVID-19 causes.
However, they must show satisfactory proof of their relationship with the deceased and comply with minimum public health standards.