ECQ to Be Extended Until May 15 in NCR, Region III, Region IV-A, Among Others
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. has officially announced that enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will be extended until May 15 for the National Capital Region, CALABARZON, Central Luzon, and Benguet.
Extended ECQ will be implemented:
In Luzon: Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Benguet, Pangasinan, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Albay, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Catanduanes
In Visayas: Antique, Iloilo, Cebu, Cebu City, Aklan, Capiz
In Mindanao: Davao del Norte, Davao City, Savao de Oro
Meanwhile, “general community quarantine” (GCQ) will be implemented until May 15 in all other areas not mentioned above. Under GCQ, which Roque called the "new normal," citizens under select industries will be allowed to work. Children and seniors are highly suggested to stay home, while malls and public transport will operate but at a reduced capacity.
"I have to do it," explained President Rodrigo Duterte during the recorded press conference. "There is no telling how long [COVID-19 will be in our lives]."
Luzon’s enhanced community quarantine began on March 17 and was initially intended to end on April 14. However, Duterte later extended the quarantine until April 30 to ensure that Philippine healthcare measures would flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The extended ECQ will be revisited on May 6 by the Inter-Agency Task Force for COVID-19. Select areas under ECQ will undergo "re-checking" on April 30 to see if the province has contained the virus.
Prior to Roque’s announcement, netizens feared a total lockdown would be implemented as rumors swirled online. However, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque previously stated that a total lockdown was off the table.
The Philippines currently has 6,981 cases of COVID-19 in the country. As of April 23, 711 have fully recovered and 462 have passed away from the disease.
For the latest COVID-19 cases, check out our reportr COVID-19 case tracker link.
For the latest news and updates on COVID-19, check out reportr.world/covid-19.
