Gov’t to decide on whether to lift, extend, or expand ECQ in Luzon

March 31, 2020

A technical working group led by the Department o Health is tasked to finalize the parameters on whether the enhanced community quarantine in the whole of Luzon will be lifted, extended or expanded amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

In a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the IATF Technical Working Group to be led by the DOH is directed to finalize the parameters “for deciding on the eventual total or partial lifting of the ECQ in Luzon, the possible extension of its duration, or its expansion to other areas outside the contained area.”

Whatever the TWG could come up with is subject to approval, amendment or modification by the IATF, he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the whole of Luzon, including Metro Manila, under ECQ from March 17 to April 13.

The local government units in other parts of the country have been implementing their own quarantine to restrict movement of the people to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

Nograles reiterated that reports of extending ECQ to 60 days are fake news.

As of Tuesday afternoon, confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines rose to 2,084 with 88 deaths and 49 recoveries. Celerina Monte/DMS