NCR, Laguna, Bataan under MECQ until the end of August

Malacañang has placed the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces of Laguna and Bataan under the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine until the end of August.

IMAGE from Philippine Primer

According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the latest quarantine status in the NCR and the provinces in the South after the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Metro Manila and Laguna are placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from Aug 21 to 31, while Bataan will be under MECQ from Aug 23 to 31.

Those areas were initially placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the most stringent of the lockdown levels, due to rising cases of COVID-19 infections.

Roque said that religious gatherings should remain “virtual” in Metro Manila, Laguna, and Bataan, despite the de-escalation of quarantine level. He added that indoor and alfresco dining, as well as personal care services such as beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops, and nail spas are still prohibited.

IMAGE from Philippine Primer

He added that local government units in NCR, Laguna, and Bataan are likewise directed to improve the vaccination rates within their localities, as well as intensify the “Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate strategies to curb the spread of the virus. He said minimum public health and safety standards must also be observed at all times in those areas.

Currently, the country has reported 14,895 new COVID-19 infections, increasing it to 1,791,003. The record includes 1,648,402 recoveries, 111,720 active cases, and 30,881 fatalities.