Metro Manila to remain under GCQ until July 15

CALOOCAN CITY, July 1 (PIA) -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte announced late Tuesday evening that Metro Manila will  remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until July 15 to curb the COVID-19 spread.

During his televised address multicast by the Presidential Communications and state media, the President stated his approval to place Metro Manila, the region that accounts for the majority of the COVID-19 cases in the country, under extended GCQ based on the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).

Duterte also announced the following areas under GCQ for the same period:

• Benguet Province;
• Cavite Province;
• Rizal Province;
• Leyte Province;
• Southern Leyte Province; and
• Cebu Province’s Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, and Municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion.

While only Cebu City remained under a more stringent enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the President, however, placed the rest of the country under the most relaxed level of modified GCQ amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duterte also took time to compare the residents of the City of Manila with that of other areas amid the lockdown.

“Ang Manila and the rest of the greater Manila area, medyo there was a substantial compliance. I wouldn't say that there were no violations. There were violations, but not in a scale I saw in other places,” he said.

“Manila and its environment, maraming tao. Because sumunod sila, with few violations, we hear in Manila a very good chance of at least avoiding it.
Because residents of Manila complied with lockdown rules, those in the capital have a good chance of at least avoiding [COVID-19.],” he added.

As the President made his announcements, the country’s COVID-19 s cases rise to 37,514, with new cases totaling 1,080, which are the second highest single day tally, next to the 1,150 cases reported on June 23.

The death toll from the coronavirus, on the other hand, is now at 1,266, with 10,233 recoveries. (PIA NCR)

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)