Philippines health experts have asked President Rodrigo Duterte to extend the implementation of enhanced community quarantine in certain areas of the country, including metro Manila, beyond 30 April.
The recommendation was made during a meeting between Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on Monday, although no final decision on the matter has yet been reached. The President has previously extended quarantine measures throughout the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, which originally ran for one month to 12 April, for a further 18 days but there has been growing talk in recent weeks of a partial lifting of lockdowns.
“The option being floated yesterday was either continue, relax or completely stop ECQ in other areas in the country, depending on the number of COVID-19 cases,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday.
Areas in which enhanced community quarantine has been recommended to continue are Metro Manila, Calabarzon – comprising Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon – and Bulacan.
“President Duterte will look at the recommendation of IATF. He will look at the recommendation of WHO (World Health Organization) and the recommendation of the experts and then he will make a decision,” said Roque.
Universal Entertainment, operator of Okada Manila in the capital’s Entertainment City precinct, stated last week it anticipates a further two weeks of quarantine measures beyond 30 April.
