Dive establishments in GCQ, MCGQ can accept recreational divers if they come from areas under quarantine

October 9, 2020

Malacanang on Friday said dive establishments in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ are allowed to accept recreational divers as guests as long as they are also from those areas.

In a statement, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said it was approved during the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) meeting on Thursday.

“We further state that dive establishments in specific areas under GCQ and Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), such as in Batangas and other areas as may identified by the Department of Tourism (DOT), may accept recreational divers as guests, who are from areas under GCQ or lower,” Roque said.

He said the DOT shall issue the necessary guidelines in coordination and consultation with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the identified local government units.

DOT has allowed Baguio City, Boracay Island and Ilocos Norte to receive tourists after months of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic threat.

 Roque said the IATF directed its sub-Technical Working Groups on Data Analytics and Anticipatory and Forward Planning to convene a meeting to formulate unified recommendations concerning guidelines applicable to areas that may eventually place under the “new normal”.

He said this will be aligned to the proposed National Action Plan Phase III of the National Task Force against COVID-19, which is assigned to craft a unified long-term plan.

“The meeting will be composed of health expert panels from the Department of Health Technical Advisory Group, the Health Care Professionals’ Alliance against COVID-19 as well as economic experts to balance health and economy,” Roque said. Ella Dionisio/DMS