Duterte Reimposes MECQ in Metro Manila and Other Areas From August 4 to 18

Updated as of August 3, 2020

In a late-night public address on Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Metro Manila and provinces of Laguna, Rizal, Cavite, and Bulacan will be reverted to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting August 4 to 18.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members on August 2, 2020. /IMAGE Presidential Photo by King Rodriguez

Duterte approved the recommendation of his Cabinet members to return to a more stringent quarantine status after at least 80 medical associations representing thousands of doctors signed a letter asking the government to revert Manila to enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), a “timeout” to prevent the collapse of the country’s healthcare system amid the prevailing health crisis as COVID-19 cases exceed the 100,000 mark.

“I have heard the call of different groups from the medical community for a two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Mega Manila. I fully understand why you, health workers, would like to ask for such a timeout. They have been in the frontlines for months and they are exhausted,” Duterte said during his public address.

According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, the imposition of a stricter quarantine classification is among the Cabinet’s recommendations to address the concerns of healthcare workers. Other recommendations include the following:

• Hire additional healthcare workers to augment the current workforce including the hiring of 10,000 medical professionals and the calling to active duty and enlistment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
• Grant additional benefits such as risk allowance of Php 10,000 to 15,000 for private sector healthcare workers with life insurance, free accommodation, free transportation, and free frequent testing.
• Issuance of work and quarantine passes to reduce movement.
• Intensify localized lockdown strategy and implementation of Oplan Kalinga by local government units (LGUs) and the COVID-19 CODE teams.
• Enforce guidelines for minimum health standards such as wearing masks and distributing 20 million face masks for the poor.
• Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing as the gold standard in COVID-19 tests.

As of August 2, the largest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases was reported with 5,032 additional cases. The total number of cases reached 103,185.

Allowed public and private transport services during MECQ

Public shuttles for frontliners and workers in allowed industries, private company shuttles, personal vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles, and e-scooters are allowed in areas placed under MECQ. Restrictions on the number of passengers per transport vehicle will also be observed.

On the other hand, trains (PNR, LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3), buses, jeepneys, taxis, and TNVS, and are not allowed. Tricycles, however, are still subject to the Department of Interior and Local Government and LGU guidelines.

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Images from Presidential Communication

Source: Philippine News Agency