NCR Plus to be Placed Under Stricter GCQ on May 15
President Rodrigo Duterte will place the National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus) and other areas to a more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ) from a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
IMAGE from Philippine Primer
Duterte decided to ease quarantine protocols in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, collectively known as NCR Plus, upon the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Thursday, May 13, 2021, approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to place the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions from May 15 to 31, 2021,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
Apart from NCR Plus, the quarantine classification in Abra also shifted from MECQ to GCQ.
Areas of Concern
The MECQ status was retained in the City of Santiago in Isabela, Zamboanga City, Quirino, and Ifugao.
Duterte said the four areas would remain under MECQ until end of the month following local governments’ concerns over the spike in the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) within their localities.
GCQ is imposed in Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon, Iligan City, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, and Puerto Princesa City until May 31.
The rest of the country remains under the least restrictive modified GCQ (MGCQ) for the whole month of May.
Implementation of Stricter GCQ
Once GCQ with heightened restrictions is implemented in NCR, only “essential travel into and out of the NCR Plus” will be allowed, Roque said.
IMAGE from Philippine Primer
“Public transportation shall remain operational at such capacities and protocols in accordance with the Department of Transportation guidelines while the use of active transportation shall be promoted,” he said.
Roque said only individuals aged 18-65 can leave their homes while NCR Plus is under stricter GCQ.
Entertainment venues like bars, concert halls, and theaters; recreational venues, such as internet cafes, billiards halls, and arcades; amusement parks, fairs, playgrounds, kiddie rides; indoor sports courts and venues and indoor tourist attractions; and venues for meetings, conferences, exhibitions will not be allowed in NCR Plus, Roque said.
Roque said religious gatherings and gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment and funerals for those who died of causes other than Covid-19 in NCR Plus will be allowed up to 10% of the venue capacity.
He added that indoor and outdoor dine-in services would be allowed in Metro Manila and its four neighboring provinces.
Also, indoor dine-in services in NCR Plus shall be at 20% venue or seating capacity while outdoor or al fresco dining shall be at 50% venue or seating capacity,” he said.
Roque said outdoor tourist attractions in NCR Plus may be opened at 30%, with “strict” adherence to minimum public health standards.
“Also continued to be allowed in GCQ areas with heightened restrictions are non-contact sports, games, scrimmages held outdoors; and personal care services that allow for services not requiring mask removal, such as salons, parlors, [and] beauty clinics, at 30% capacity,” he said.
Source: Philippine News Agency
