- Metro Manila will ease into general community quarantine from modified enhanced community quarantine from September 8 to 30
- The government will pilot implementation of “granular” or localized lockdowns in the capital region
Metro Manila will ease into general community quarantine (GCQ) from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from September 8 to 30 as the government pilots the implementation of “granular ” or localized lockdowns in the capital region.
The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has yet to issue a resolution on the adoption of granular lockdowns; details will be announced on September 7, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a media briefing on September 6.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez over the weekend said the IATF has approved implementing granular lockdowns, initially in Metro Manila starting September 8.
Lopez said with granular lockdowns, only areas tagged as COVID-19 hotspots will be on hard lockdown while the rest of the capital region will be under the more lenient GCQ.
Other areas under GCQ from September 8 to 30 are:
- Baguio City
- Kalinga
- Abra
- Benguet
- Dagupan City
- City of Santiago
- Quirino
- Isabela
- Nueva Vizcaya
- Tarlac
- Occidental Mindoro
- Puerto Princesa
- Aklan
- Guimaras
- Negros Occidental
- Cebu City
- Mandaue City
- Zamboanga Sibugay
- Zamboanga City
- Zamboanga del Norte
- Misamis Occidental
- Iligan City
- Davao Oriental
- Davao del Sur
- Santos City
- Sultan Kudarat
- Sarangani
- North Cotabato
- South Cotabato
- Aguan del Norte
- Agusan del Sur
- Dinagat Islands
- Surigao del Norte
- Surigao del Sur
Areas under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” are the following:
- Ilocos Sur
- Ilocos Norte
- Cagayan
- Pangasinan
- Quezon
- Batangas
- Naga City
- Antique
- Bacolod City
- Capiz
- Cebu province
- Lapu-Lapu City
- Negros Oriental
- Zamboanga del Sur
- Misamis Oriental
- Davao City
- Davao del Norte
- Davao del Oro
- Davao Occidental
- Butuan City
Remaining under MECQ are:
- Apayao
- Bataan
- Bulacan
- Cavite
- Lucena City
- Rizal
- Laguna
- Iloilo province
- Iloilo City
- Cagayan de Oro City
The rest of the country will be under the least restrictive modified GCQ (MGCQ).
Health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said officials are eyeing a shift to granular lockdowns where LGUs can strengthen their case detection measures as wider community quarantine restrictions do not seem to be very effective anymore.
