Metro Manila, Laguna and Cebu City will be placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from May 16 to May 31, 2020, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced in an online press conference on May 12.
A less restricted form of enhanced community quarantine, MECQ allows limited movement for individuals to obtain essential services and to work; operation of selected manufacturing and processing plants at a maximum 50% capacity; and limited transport services for essential goods and services. Physical classes remain suspended.
Industries that will be allowed to operate in MECQ areas are being finalized and will be announced on May 13, Roque said.
The new list of low-, medium and high-risk areas for the spread of the coronavirus disease after May 15 was part of Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution No. 35, which was approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Roque said the list follows World Health Organization’s recommendations on the gradual lifting of lockdown measures.
Low-risk provinces and cities no longer under community quarantine starting May 16 are:
- Region 1: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Dagupan City
- Region IV-B: Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Puerto Princesa City
- Region V: Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon, Legazpi City, Naga City
- Region VI: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Bacolod City
- Region VIII: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, Tacloban City,
- Region X: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao Del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan De Oro City
- Region XII: North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, General Santos City
- BARMM: Basilan, Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City
Regions and cities under moderate-risk and will be placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) until May 31 are:
- CAR: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Baguio City
- Region II: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Santiago City
- Region III: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, Olongapo City
- Region IV-A: Cavite, Quezon, Rizal, BAtangas, Lucena City
- Region VII: Bohol, Cebu province, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City
- Regin IX: Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga City, Isabela City
- Region XI: Davao City, Davao De Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental
- Region XIII: Agusan Del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Butuan City
Provinces, highly-urbanized cities, and independent component cities characterized under low-, moderate and high-risk areas may appeal their classification to the IATF Screening and Validation Committee with the concurrence of the Regional IATF (RIATF) no later than May 13.
IATF Resolution No. 35 also adopts recommendations of the National Task Force against COVID-19 in relation to the proposed zoning concept and corresponding qualification and its phased response or intervention for areas under MECQ.
Pursuant to this, city/municipal local government units are allowed to declare the classification of barangays based on risk thresholds to be confirmed by the RIATF per Executive Order No. 112.
To implement this, there will be different zones based on the number of cases within a zone:
- Critical zone has more than 20 cases for every 100,000 population (under ECQ);
- Containment zone which are zones around critical zones and have between 1 and 19 cases for every 100,000 population (under MECQ);
- Buffer zone has no cases but contiguous with localities with cases (under GCQ); and
- Outside buffer zone areas without confirmed cases (under modified GCQ).
