MANILA – Quirino province will stay under the less restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until April 30, Malacañang said on Friday.
This, after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) approved Thursday the proposed MECQ extension in the province, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.
“The IATF approved the extension of the risk-level classification of Quirino Province under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine until April 30, 2021,” Roque said.
Quirino province was originally under MECQ until April 15.
Apart from Quirino province, the so-called NCR Plus – Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna – are also placed under MECQ from April 12 to 30.
NCR Plus was initially under the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for two weeks since March 29 due to the alarming spike in the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections.
However, the ECQ status in NCR Plus was downgraded to MECQ after more public and private hospitals committed to providing rooms and beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients.
Roque said the IATF-EID also approved the continuation of the training of the national athletes at the Olympic Training Bubble in Calamba, Laguna.
He said the temporary suspension of foreigners’ entry to the Philippines remains in effect until April 30.
Roque said foreigners with valid entry exemption documents duly issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs prior to March 22 will be allowed to enter the country.
The City of Santiago in Isabela and Abra are also put under MECQ.
Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao City, Lanao del Sur, and Quezon are under a more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ).
The rest of the country stays under modified GCQ.
On Thursday, Roque said the IATF-EID has no plan to impose tighter quarantine measures in areas outside NCR Plus despite the increase in Covid-19 cases in five regions.
The Department of Health earlier noted a rise in Covid-19 infections in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region.
Roque, however, said the Covid-19 surge in other areas is not that “bad” unlike in NCR Plus. (PNA)
