‘NCR Plus’ remains under MECQ until mid-May

by Sam Oliquino / April 29, 2021

President Rodrigo Duterte announced Wednesday, April 28 the extension of the modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces until May 14. This comes after the recommendations of experts and the Department of Health (DOH) to keep the strict lockdown restrictions to help decongest hospitals and further lower the positivity rate in the ‘NCR Plus’ bubble which includes Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

In a prerecorded briefing, Duterte also said that Santiago City and Quirino Province in Region 2 and Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will likewise be placed under MECQ for the whole month of May.

Meanwhile, the following areas will be under general community quarantine (GCQ) from May 1 to May 31, 2021:

Cordillera Administrative Region

Apayao
Baguio City
Benguet
Ifugao
Kalinga
Mountain Province

Region 2

Cagayan
Isabela
Nueva Vizcaya

Region 4A

Batangas
Quezon

Region 8

Tacloban

Region 10

Iligan City

Region 11

Davao City

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)

Lanao del Sur

The rest of the country or areas not mentioned, on the other hand, are placed under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

IATF Resolution No. 112

According to the Inter-Agency Task Force’s (IATF) Resolution No. 112, the frontline workers of the Congress of the Philippines are now included in the A4 priority group of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program. In addition to this, the IATF also approves the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) request for 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate minimum wage earners and Overseas Filipino Workers in celebration of Labor Day on May 1.

The IATF is also prohibiting all travelers from India or those with a travel history going to India within the last 14 days to enter the country beginning April 29, 2021 to May 14, 2021.

Hybrid MECQ

Meanwhile, Metro Manila mayors agreed to shorten curfew hours to 10 PM to 4 AM starting May 1, 2021. More businesses will also be allowed to operate while keeping strict health protocols and border control.

As of April 28, 2021, the country recorded a total of 1,020,495 COVID-19 cases with 67,769 active cases and 17,031 deaths.

Read also:

• Bursting your ‘bubble’: New restrictions and what you should expect
• MECQ takes effect and here’s what you need to know
• A brief review: The Philippines and COVID-19 after a year in lockdown