CALOOCAN CITY, Dec. 29 (PIA) -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday announced the retention of general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila until January 31, 2021 to prevent a spike in new COVID-19 cases in the metropolis following the holidays, and in the face of the emerging new coronavirus strain from the United Kingdom.
In his televised address, Duterte also placed the provinces of Batangas, Davao del Norte, Isabela, Lanao del Sur, and cities of Davao, Iligan, Iloilo, Santiago, and Tacloban under GCQ until the end of January.
While the rest of the country will also remain under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), he added.
The community quarantine classifications, however, is subject to appeal from respective local government units (LGUs) concerned, the President said.
The announcement of quarantine classifications for January comes amid the threat of the new coronavirus strain.
The Philippines joined other countries earlier in imposing a travel ban on the United Kingdom to prevent possible transmission of the new strain, which is said to be more infectious.
For his part, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said he supported maintaining the less strict GCQ status in Metro Manila in January despite the threat of a new, potentially more transmissible variant of COVID-19.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is presently discussing efforts to prevent the entry of a new strain of coronavirus that emerged in the United Kingdom.
The President also reminded the public not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary and to “stay home if it’s really possible, it’s for your own good.”
He earlier urged the public to skip large gatherings to avoid catching or spreading the disease. (PIA NCR)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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