Año says Duterte may approve lowering Metro Manila to GCQ

May 28, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday said President Rodrigo Duterte may approve the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to downgrade Metro Manila and other regions in Luzon to General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

In a TV interview, Año said the IATF members are scheduled to meet the president Thursday.

“But the IATF already met and we come up with a recommendation to the president,” he said.

 “We think this will be accepted by the president… what we are only discussing is what other revisions should be added under GCQ,” he added.

Año said they are still discussing whether salons and barber shops will be allowed to operate under GCQ at 20 percent staffing.

“Under MGCQ (moderate) they are allowed on 50 percent… so we are looking if they will be allowed on 20 percent based on the health standards but we assured the barbers, salon workers that they will be allowed (to operate) very soon,” he said.

Año said GCQ will be implemented starting June 1 until June 15 and the next status of the country will depend on the health situation during GCQ period.

He said what is best for now is for them to categorize what areas will be under GCQ.

The Metro Manila Council (MMC) on Tuesday agreed to lift the MECQ to GCQ after it lapse on May 31.

“We already sent our recommendation on LGUs (local government units) and they have enough time to appeal if they want to change and can depend their position but for Metro Manila, the recommendation is to undergo GCQ except on high risks barangays that we can call critical zones, they can undergo total lockdown,” Año said.

Under GCQ, mass or public transportation will be allowed to open but according to Año, traditional public vehicles such as jeepneys will still be not allowed as physical distancing is hard to observe.

“Maybe they will only be allowed to deliver… it depends on the DOTR (Department of Transportation) and they will have a dry run this weekend on how public transportation will operate,” he said.

He added some shops inside the mall can also start their business under GCQ, except for leisure and sports industries.

To resolve the possible problem in transportation, Año promote the use of bicycle as primary mode of transportation.

“We directed all LGUs to establish bike lanes on all thoroughfares in this new normal. We want to encourage everyone to use bikes,” he said.

He also reminded the public  they should wear face mask and always observe social distancing.

Based on the Department of Health’s latest case bulletin, there are now a total of 15,049 COVID-19 cases in the country.

Of the total 380 new cases, 254 came from NCR. Ella Dionisio/DMS