Palace says there will be areas under stricter quarantine

July 15, 2020

Malacañang said on Wednesday there will be areas to be placed under stricter quarantine measures amid the surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.

However, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that most parts of the country are expected to be under modified general community quarantine.

"There are areas that will go back to stricter quarantine measures but by and large, the Philippines will be under MGCQ overwhelming," he said in an interview with ANC.

Duterte is expected to announce the new quarantine classification in the country late Wednesday after meeting with some members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"So, I guess you can say that we have reined in the COVID threat to the extent that we can open up up to 75 percent of the economy and I think in the coming few days we might even consider declaring some areas under the new normal," Roque said.

Davao City could be one of those places which would be under more restrictive classification of general community quarantine.

Earlier, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said that the IATF informed her that her city would be under GCQ from current MGCQ due to increasing COVID-19 cases.

But the presidential daughter said she has appealed the new quarantine classification by staying under GCQ.

Meanwhile, in the same interview, Roque  refused to to confirm if Metro Manila would stay under GCQ.

"I can't preempt the announcement of the President," he said.

However, he added that Metro Manila might remain under GCQ. Celerina Monte/DMS