The government has suspended the operation of several businesses in general community quarantine (GCQ) areas—including Metro Manila—for 14 days, starting March 22 as COVID-19 cases continued to surge, hitting a record high of more than 7,000 new cases in a day, Malacanang said Friday.
Researchers tracking the pandemic, however, urged Metro Manila mayors to consider more stringent restrictions if the surge continues for two more weeks. They proposed “a soft” modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in which businesses would still be open and transportation would be available for workers, but all forms of social gathering would be prohibited. Work from home and other types of arrangements would be required both in the public and private sector, a member of the OCTA Research group said Friday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the operation of driving schools, traditional cinemas, videos and interactive game arcades, libraries, archives, and museums would be suspended.
Malacañang also announced a 30 percent limit on business and religious gatherings, down from the previous 50 percent, in GCQ areas until April 4.
Cultural events and limited social events would also be disallowed during the two-week period beginning March 22. Among Department of Tourism-accredited establishments, only open-air tourist attractions will be allowed to operate.
Also starting Monday, March 22, only about 30 to 50 percent of government agencies’ workforce will be allowed to physically report for work following the increase of COVID 19 cases, the Palace said.
Areas that are still under the general community quarantine status are Metro Manila, Baguio City, Apayao, Kalinga, Mt. Province, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao City and Lanao Del Sur.
The rest of the country are under modified GCQ, the most relaxed form of community quarantine.
Meanwhile, Malacanang said that all Filipinos are allowed to return to the Philippines, reversing an earlier pronouncement that only overseas Filipino workers may fly back home amid a renewed surge in COVID-19 cases.
Roque said under the revised IATF order, only foreigners are not allowed to enter the country until April 21, 2021 to prevent the spread of the virus.
Exempted from the order are diplomats, members of international organizations and their dependents, foreigners involved in medical repatriation, foreign seafarers under green lane programs for crew change, foreign spouses and children of Filipinos traveling with them, and emergency or humanitarian cases.
The National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 rejected a proposal to enforce a “total lockdown” in regions that are experiencing a rapid surge in the number of coronavirus disease cases.
NTF Chairperson and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said granular lockdowns — or the closure of a particular building, street, or barangay — should be strictly enforced by local government units (LGUs) instead of putting an entire region under total lockdown to prevent the economy from totally collapsing.
“We are giving the burden to the local government units because we noticed that they have become lenient in enforcing the health protocols. The surge is really alarming,” he said.
In a meeting with Metro Manila mayors on March 11, the OCTA Research group suggested stricter quarantine measures if the surge in COVID-19 cases will continue after two weeks.
OCTA Research fellow Ranjit Rye said his group proposed a “soft” modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) that would keep businesses open but bar all forms of social gatherings.
“This a very serious surge. We cannot minimize it. We cannot downplay it. It’s already affecting lives and livelihoods,” Rye said.
Rye said the shift to a soft MECQ will only happen if a “hard” general community quarantine (GCQ) will not be able to significantly reduce the reproduction number, which is currently at 1.9 for the National Capital Region.
A reproduction number of 1 or higher indicates sustained COVID-19 transmission.
Under its hard GCQ proposal, the operation of government offices and industries will continue but with a significant percentage of the workforce allowed to work staggered hours or work from home.
In other developments:
• All activities related to the observance of Holy Week are suspended in Manila this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said on Friday. Domagoso instead urged Manila residents to observe Holy Week inside their homes.
• Pasig City on Friday placed 37 areas under “granular lockdown” for two weeks amid the surge of cases and emergence of new variants of COVID-19. Mayor Vico Sotto said the 37 areas in the city’s 19 villages will have stricter safety protocols from March 19 until April 1, although the lifting of this status will still depend on what the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit finds.
• The Department of Education (DepEd) Task Force COVID-19 on Thursday temporarily closed the Central Office in Pasig City to give way for a complex-wide disinfection and contact tracing activity. The temporary closure will end on March 24.
• Application for assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) central office in Quezon City will have to wait until Monday, as it will undergo a three-day sanitization due to COVID-19 cases in the complex. On Thursday night, the DSWD said they would shut down Friday to Sunday after 33 Covid-19 infections were confirmed.
• Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Friday said all schooling and training for cops are suspended as the police force battles a surge in COVID-19 cases.
• More than a dozen personnel of the government’s witness protection program have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the Department of Justice to consider an extended lockdown. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said 17 personnel contracted the virus and will be quarantined immediately.