Minors not allowed out in MECQ, GCQ areas
IATF releases new guidelines
MANILA, Philippines (Updated Apr. 6, 2021, 7:45 a.m.) — The government has approved additional measures aimed at containing COVID-19, including raising the age limit of persons who may step out of their homes in Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) and General Community Quarantine (GCQ) areas.
The new safety measures are contained in the amended omnibus community quarantine guidelines adopted by the government's pandemic task force last April 3.
Who can go out?
- persons obtaining essential goods
- persons reporting for work in allowed industries and offices
Who are required to stay home?
- any person below 18 years old
- persons over 65 years old
- individuals with immunodeficiency, comorbidity or other health risks
- pregnant women
Under the MECQ, the second strictest quarantine classification, only selected industries are allowed to operate. It is slightly more lenient than the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), where only the establishments offering essential goods and services remain open. Meanwhile, about half of businesses can operate in the more relaxed general community quarantine.
Areas under ECQ until April 11
- Metro Manila
- Bulacan
- Cavite
- Laguna
- Rizal
Areas under MECQ
- Santiago City, Isabela (until April 30)
- Quirino (until April 15)
Areas under GCQ until April 30
- Cordillera Administrative Region
- Cagayan
- Isabela
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Batangas
- Tacloban City
- Iligan City
- Davao City
- Lanao del Sur
The rest of the country will be placed under the most lenient modified general community quarantine for the month of April.
More new guidelines
The task force also updated the guidelines related to work spaces in areas under ECQ.
Establishments, persons, or activities are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken with full on-site capacity if they belong to:
- health, emergency, and frontline services
- health maintenance organizations
- health insurance providers
- disaster risk reduction management officers
- public safety officers and the like
- essential retail trade and service establishments like hardware, office supplies and bicycle shops
- public transport providers and operators.
Sectors that are allowed to operate on a skeleton on-site capacity are:
- janitorial or sanitation services and facilities
- establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment, for households and essential permitted establishments
- establishments engaged in repair and maintenance of motorized and non-motorized vehicles, including the sale of spare parts
- teachers, professors and other staff who are conducting online, offline, or flexible classes, completing grades, and processing student credentials, requirements and documents
- lawyers who provide legal representation necessary to protect the rights of persons as well as legal services for permitted establishments
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has also issued Resolution No. 108-A approving the tapping of defense, interior, and labor personnel to supplement contact tracing efforts.
The resolution also called for an intensified enforcement of protocols and guidelines in the local level through the review of existing local ordinances and executive orders to provide for the imposition of other forms of penalties such as community service.
- Latest
- Trending
