Metro Manila council votes to ease GCQ status to MGCQ
MANILA, Philippines — Though a close fight, the Metro Manila Council voted in favor of easing quarantine status anew to modified general community quarantine in March after months of GCQ, a Metro Manila mayor disclosed Thursday.
Speaking in an interview aired over DZBB Super Radyo, Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said that nine of the metro's mayors voted to ease quarantine status in the region to modified general community quarantine this March, while eight mayors wanted to retain GCQ status.
Although they are not binding in any way, the recommendations of the MMC have historically been mirrored by the coronavirus task force and later approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.
As it stands, much of the country is already under MGCQ, with only the National Capital Region, Batangas, Abra, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Iligan still under the tighter GCQ.
READ: Metro Manila will be under 'constant' threat of surge if it shifts to MGCQ — OCTA
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has begun mulling easing restrictions once more to, they said, keep the economy afloat.
Over the past week, the IATF has looked at re-opening arcades and cinemas and lowering the age restrictions for individuals allowed to go outdoors.
Just the day before, the OCTA Research Group warned that a shift to MGCQ — the IATF's loosest quarantine designation — would trigger yet another surge in coronavirus cases.
The research group made the same warning in May, saying that a premature return to GCQ could add some 24,000 cases and 1,700 deaths by June — a prediction that, for the most part, was not incorrect months later, after the IATF went ahead with its GCQ classification anyway.
Earlier Tuesday, the National Economic and Development Authority also pushed for a shift to MGCQ, saying such a move would help mitigate hunger and unemployment in the country.
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As of the health department's latest case tally Wednesday afternoon, exactly 553,424 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the Philippines since the pathogen first emerged in December 2019.
It has been 338 days since the initial enhanced community quarantine was hoisted over some parts of Luzon.
The Philippines is still under the world's longest quarantine, despite government claims of a "successful" coronavirus response.
— Franco Luna with reports from Christian Deiparine and Gaea Katreena Cabico
Follow this thread for updates on COVID-19 risk levels, safety measures, and data from Metro Manila's local government units.
Photo: The STAR/Michael Varcas
Supreme Court suspends work from 12:30 p.m. on May 12 for disinfection of premises "in view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases."
Senate President Migz Zubiri says that the whole Senate building will be placed under lockdown until Tuesday next week for thorough cleaning and disinfection.
This came after seven senators and some staff of the Senate tested positive for COVID-19.
Senate President Migz Zubiri says Sen. Grace Poe is recovering from COVID-19 and is not present at the Senate plenary session today. She is the fourth senator to catch the coronavirus in the past two weeks. — Franco Luna
Senate President Migz Zubiri says Sen. Cynthia Villar tested positive for COVID-19. She is third senator to test positive for the virus following Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano and Imee Marcos -- Philstar.com/Xave Gregorio
Daily growth rate in the National Capital Region is down to 2% from 3% of the previous day, according to OCTA Research.
OCTA Research fellow Guido David says the capital region could be close to the peak in new cases or the region has reached its limits in testing capacity.
NCR daily growth rate just 2%. The NCR could be close to the peak in new cases, or the NCR has reached its limits in testing capacity. @dzbb @dzrhnews @allangatus @News5PH @DZAR1026 @NewsRmn @dwiz882 @dzme_1530khz @EagleNews @ABSCBNNews @sofiatomacruz @PhilstarNews @haydeesampang pic.twitter.com/qkSPVvyf6e
— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) January 16, 2022
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