Modified enhanced community quarantine in the Philippines

The Department of Health registers an additional 20,741 new COVID-19 infections, the second highest daily increase since the pandemic started.

• Active cases: 157,646 or 7.6% of the total
• Recoveries: 21,962 or, bringing total to 1,869,376
• Deaths: 189, raising toll to 34,062

The Department of Health logs 17,447 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the national tally to 1,916,461.

• Active cases: 142,531 or 7.4% of the total
• Recoveries: 6,771, bringing the number to 1,741,089
• Deaths: 113, or now 32,841 in total

The Philippines records a new record high of 18,332 COVID-19 cases, the highest single daily rise since the pandemic started. Coronavirus tally in the country is now at 1,857,646.

• Recoveries: 13,794 new; 1,695,335 total
• Deaths: 151 new; 31,961 total
• Active cases: 130,350 or 7% of total

Ngayong 4 PM, Agosto 23, 2021, ang Department of Health ay nakapagtala ng 18,332 na karagdagang kaso ng COVID-19. Samantala ay mayroon namang naitalang 13,794 na gumaling at 151 na pumanaw.

Sa kabuuang bilang ng mga naitalang kaso sa bansa, 7.0% (130,350) ang aktibong kaso, pic.twitter.com/JPIDDFWz0Z

— Department of Health (@DOHgovph) August 23, 2021

The Department of Health logs 16,694 more COVID-19 infections, bringing the national tally to 1,824,051. 

• Active cases: 123,935 or 6.8% of the total
• Recoveries: 15,805, pushing total to 1,668,520 
• Deaths: 398, bringing total to 31,596

The Department of Health reports 17,231 more COVID-19 infections, bringing the national tally to 1,807,800.

• Active cases: 123,251 or 6.8% of the total
• Recoveries: 5,595, pushing total to 1,653,351
• Deaths: 317, bringing total to 31,198

Ilocos Norte will be placed under localized modified enhanced community quarantine as Gov. Matthew Manotoc cites the average daily attack rate and the two-week growth rate of COVID-19 in the province.

Via executive order 142-21, the localized MECQ status will take in effect on Thursday, while awaiting the approval of the request to place the province under MECQ by the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

As of 10 p.m. of July 28, Ilocos Norte has 297 new cases of COVID-19 infections. The province now still has 2718 active cases, from the total cases of 7,348. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Davao City will be under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine from June 5, the Palace announces.

The stricter quarantine will remain in place until at least June 20.

Iloilo City, previously under general community quarantine, will be placed under modified enhanced community quarantine from May 23 to 31.

The inter-agency task force for COVID-19 approved the appeal of the local government to reevaluate their quarantine classification due to the rising number of cases in the city.

Apayao, Benguet and Cagayan will remain under MECQ until the end of the month.

The local government unit of IloIlo City appealed the reevaluation of their quarantine classification due to rising cases of #COVID19 infections. pic.twitter.com/DRyqKcVU70

— ONE News PH (@onenewsph) May 23, 2021

The Department of Health reports an additional 6,895 COVID-19 cases, bringing the national tally to 1,020,495.

• Active cases: 67,769 or 6.6% of the total
• Recoveries: 10,739, pushing total to 935,695
• Deaths: 115, bringing total to 17,031

The Department of Health reports 9,661 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the national caseload to 989,380.

• Active cases: 89,485 or 9% of the total
• Recoveries: 883,221, pushing total to 22,877
• Deaths: 145, bringing total to 16,674

The Department of Health logs 8,719 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the national caseload to 979,740.

• Active cases: 102,799 or 10.5% of the total
• Recoveries: 13,812, pushing total to 860,412
• Deaths: 159, bringing total to 16,529

The Department of Health reports an additional 9,227 COVID-19 cases, bringing the national tally to 962,307.

• Active cases: 116,434 or 12.1% of the total
• Recoveries: 19,699 pushing total to 829,608
• Deaths: 124, bringing total to 16,256

The Department of Health logs 11,101 additional COVID-19 infectiobs, bringing the national tally to 926,052.

• Active cases: 203,710 or 22% of the total
• Recoveries: 799, pushing total to 706,532
• Deaths: 72, bringing total to 15,810

The Department of Health registers 10,726 new cases of the coronavirus disease, bringing the national tally to 914,971.

• Active cases: 193,476 or 21.1% of the total
• Recoveries: 650, pushing total to 707,757
• Deaths: 145, bringing total to 15,738

Curfew in Metro Manila, which is part of the NCR Plus bubble, will actually be from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as the capital goes into Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, the Metro Manila Development Authority now says.

The Palace earlier said the 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. would remain in place until mayors and governors in MECQ areas decide otherwise.

The 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will remain in place in the "NCR Plus" bubble for now, News5 reports, quoting the Palace.

The curfew will remain until mayors and governors decide on further guidelines under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine.

The Palace announced earlier Sunday that "NCR Plus", Santiago in Isabela, and the provinces of Quirino and Abra will be in MECQ until April 30. The Palace also said the differences between ECQ and MECQ will be announced on Monday, the day MECQ takes effect.

The local government of San Juan Batangas orders the closure of Blue Coral Beach Resort in Laiya Aplaya following repeated violations of COVID-19 protocols.

This comes after a video of a large group partying without face masks, face shields and not observing physical distancing at the beach of the resort were sent to the Department of Tourism.

San Juan Mayor Ilderbrando Salud has issued a memo revoking the business permit of the beach resort. —  Report from Rosette Adel

LOOK: A group was seen partying without face masks/face shields at a beach in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. The individuals are also not observing the physical distancing protocols at the beach.

Video from: DOT @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/mlyU9DvGf7

— Rosette Adel (@rosette_adel) December 9, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte says he will ask local government units to make necessary arrangements on vacant hotels and motels to allow COVID-19 patients to stay in their premises.

Duterte says he will ask the Congress to find a way to compensate the hotels that will accommodate coronavirus patients.

"To the owners of hotels, inns, motels to accommodate the Filipinos who are in need of help. I will assume the full responsibility of paying you pagdating ng panahon," Duterte says in a recorded speech aired late Monday.

The Zamboanga City government strongly opposes proposals of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año in allowing children to go to malls and other public places with their parents.

The local official and health authorities also disapprove of the possibility of expanding the manner of classes to face-to-face classes engagement as part of the ‘new normal.’

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar expresses her disapproval, citing critical observations by local health officials here about the eminent contamination from the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus (SARS-CoV) which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“It is not still safe to allow children to go out except for medical reasons or emergency cases,” Salazar says in her virtual presser. —  The STAR/Roel Pareño

Sen. Bong Revilla, who earlier tested positive for COVID-19, was rushed to the hospital, according to his wife Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado.

"He is being rushed to the hospital. His latest X-ray shows that he has developed pneumonia and isolation in a regular facility is no longer ideal," Mercado says in a Facebook post Tuesday.

The Department of Health reports 4,836 additional COVID-19 cases in the country, pushing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 169,213.

The DOH also logs 182 new recoveries, bringing the total of recovered patients to 112,861. The national death toll is now at 2,687 with the addition of 7 new reported deaths.

Total active cases (net of COVID-19 deaths and recoveries) in the Philippines is now at 53,665.

The Department of Health reports 3,314 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, bringing the total cases on the country to 164,474.

The health department also announced 237 new recoveries, pushing the total of recovered patients to 112,759. The national death toll is now at 2,681 following 18 new reported deaths.

The total active COVID-19 cases (net of deaths and recoveries) in the Philippines is now at 49,034.

President Rodrigo Duterte is under "perpetual isolation" as a precaution against COVID-19, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says.

According to Roque, there is a velvet rope keeping people six feet away from the president.

In August, Duterte had a meeting with DILG Secretary Eduardo Ano, who later on tested positive for the virus once again.

The Department of Health on Thursday reports 3,561 additional COVID-19 cases in the country based on tests from 89 out of 98 operational labs. This pushes the national tally of coronavirus cases in the Philippines to 119,460.

The health department also announcs 569 new recoveries, raising the total number of recoveries to 66,867. The national death toll is now at 2,150 with 28 additional fatalities.

The country's total active cases (net of COVID-19 deaths and recoveries) is now at 50,473.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno announces that they will implement the 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew during the modified enhanced community quarantine from August 4 to 18, 2020.

The Philippine College of Physicians clarifiy that their appeal to the government for a stricter lockdown was to give reprieve to healthcare workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte, doctor Mario Panaligan, president of the PCP, says their virtual conference over the weekend was not meant to humiliate the Duterte administration nor the inter-agency task force on COVID-19.

"If you closely review the virtual conference on August 1, there was never a call for a revolt nor was there any threat of leaving patients on their own since our oath instructs us to first do no harm to anyone who needs our help," Panaligan says.

"By training our reserved nature, the likes of are are not used to giving out demands or ultimatums but if our requests and observations were taken as an assertive display of indignation, we apologize for the way the message was taken in a negative light," he adds.

Sen. Nancy Binay expresses support for the call of the country's healthcare workers as they are "already overwhelmed and exhausted."

With this, Binay says she hopes the government would use the two-week lockdown in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to launch a "massive granular information drive" on the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Government can optimize the 'timeout' to reassess, recalibrate its strategies, set plans, and treat the interim as an opportunity to correct mistakes and miscues," Binay says in a statement.

The Manila International Airport Authority will adopt a 50% workforce deployment in back office work as Metro Manila and nearby provinces revert to modified enhanced community quarantine on Tuesday.

However, employees assigned in flight operations, terminal monitoring, facilities managament and maintenance, security, safety and emergency services are not included in this directive.

"To ensure continuous work, MIAA provides shuttle buses for use of airport workers plying routes covering Manila, Quezon City and Cavite. They are also provided free meals and hazard pay equivalent to P500 per day, the latter in compliance with DBM Circular 2020-1 dated March 24, 2020," the Department of Transportation said in an advisory.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says the Department of Trade and Industry is authorized to issue a negative list of industries, which shall remain prohibited to operate even in areas under modified general community quarantine.

The Department of Health on Monday reports 985 COVID-19 cases (643 "fresh" cases and 432 "late" cases), pushing number of virus-infected persons in the Philippines to 36,438.

The health department also confirms 270 new recoveries, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 9,956.

Meanwhile, the 11 additional reported deaths raises the national death toll to 1,255.

Vice President Leni Robredo will go after those who posted "fake news" over her office sending food to a frontliners at a hospital, which were supposedly spoiled.

The vice president clarifies that her spokesperson, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, never visited any hospital during the entire period of the lockdown in Metro Manila.

"If there was no malice, you should have checked first before posting. You should know that posting fake news makes you criminally liable. Let us report him plus all those who reposted. Take screen shots of everything, including those who reposted because we will go after all of them," Robredo said in a social media post.

The inter-agency task force on COVID-19 revises its guidelines on the movement of persons in areas under modified general community quarantine.

Under IATF Resolution 43, persons below 21 years old, 60 years old and above, with immunodeficiency, comorbodity, other health risks and pregnant women shall remain in their houses at all times.

Mass gatherings for religious services and work conferences will now be allowed in areas under modified general community quarantine, according to IATF Resolution 43. However, the gatherings should be limited to only 50% seating capacity.

Business groups, including the Makati Business Club and Management Association of the Philippines, express disappointment at government officials "violating with impunity" the very same quarantine protocols the government has imposed.

Noting how government have affected millions, the groups say they are "disappointed — even appalled and dismayed — about news reports of public officials violating with impunity the IATF and DOH protocols intended to protect public health."

The statement was signed by MBC, MAP, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Financial Executives of the Philippines, Institute of Corporate Directors, Institute for Solidarity in Asia, and the Judicial Reform Initiative.

The Department of Tourism says they welcome the gradual re-opening of tourism operations in light of the varied community quarantine levels across the country.

“It's important for the tourism sector to open as soon as possible, albeit slowly, gradually and cautiously, so that those who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to work and earn again.”, says Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat

Travel for tourism purposes may be allowed only between places under modified general community quarantine, and subject to travel restrictions imposed by the local government units.

The Department of Labor and Employment announces that over 22,000 overseas Filipino workers stranded in different quarantine facilities have so far been transported to their respective hometown,

DOLE Undersecretary Claro Arellano, citing a report from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, says that as of 6 a.m. May 30, a total of 22,426 stranded OFWs have been released from quarantine facilities. 

"Of this figure, 19,042 were transported between May 25-28 and 3,384 were brought home on May 29 alone," he adds.

Duterte  says Metro Manila will be under general community quarantine from June 1.

Davao City, meanwhile, will remain under GCQ.

General Community Quarantine will also be implemented in the Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions as well as in Pangasinan and Albay provinces.

"The rest of the country will be placed under Modified General Community Quarantine. That is very clear now," the president also says.

A group of researchers from the University of the Philippines recommends that the national government extend the modified enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region and other high-risk areas.

In a forecast report released Thursday, the researchers found that while the government has implemented measures to control the spread of the virus in high-risk areas, NCR remains a high-risk areas due to increase of new cases in some cities.

During the first week of MECQ, new COVID-19 cases rose in Makati (170%), Las Pinas (60%) and Pasay (58%). Manila, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Caloocan and Pateros also recorded increases in the number of new COVID-19 cases.

"While such increases cannot be attributed to MECQ at this time, there remains the possibility that a transition from MECQ to GCQ could exacerbate the increase in new Covid-19 cases in these LGUs further undermining the government’s efforts to control the transmission of Covid-19," the report read.

Without naming anybody, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto calls on government officials to be clearer in their pronouncements so citizens will easily understand quarantine protocols.

"In general, quarantine rules and regulations, especially those on health, mobility, social assistance must be communicated clearly to the man on the street," he says.

"Trial balloons, thought balloons, thinking-out-loud moments run counter to the need for clarity of messages coming from the government. "

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority announces that medical frontliners are exempted from the modified number coding scheme to be implemented on June 1, as approved by the Metro Manila Council.

“The MMDA understands the plight of the medical frontliners so we want to assist them during this challenging time. We hope that by exempting them from the modified number coding scheme, we are helping to provide ease and convenience to their daily transport,” says MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia in a statement.

At least four out of five working-age Filipinos went out of their house one to three times in the past week, according to a Social Weather Stations mobile phone survey.

The poll shows that 81% went out of their house to buy food, 98% to buy medicine and 98% for financial transactions.

"On average, respondents went out 2.6 times to buy food, 1.3 times to buy medicine, and 1.2 times for financial transactions," SWS says.

The mobile survey was conducted from May 4 to 10 among 4,010 respondents nationwide using mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviewing.

All 17 mayors of Metro Manila are in favor of the region shifting to a general community quarantine from June 1, The STAR reports, quoting MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia.

Under GCQ, mayors will still have the mandate to lockdown certain barangays or areas where there are cases of COVID-19, The STAR also reports.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto announces that the liquor ban is lifted in the city as businesses and workers have been affected by the ban.

The mayor, however, reminds his constituents that social gathering is still prohibited.

"Kung inom na inom na po kayo, sa loob na lang muna ng bahay at wag imbitahin ang buong barangay," Sotto says on Twitter.

We are lifting because businesses and workers are also affected by the ban.

NGUNIT paalala na bawal pa rin po ang social gatherings. Kung inom na inom na po kayo, sa loob na lang muna ng bahay at wag imbitahin ang buong barangay pic.twitter.com/GFdwTvirz2

— Vico Sotto (@VicoSotto) May 26, 2020

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines says that the government should execute a "thoroughgoing effort to effectively combat COVID-19 so that the situation may be favorable for a safe school opening."

"Instead of idly and indefinitely waiting for a vaccine, the government shall make productive use of its time and the people’s resources on increasing the resiliency of our education system by building safe schools, addressing perennial shortages in personnel, facilities, equipment, and learning resources, and filling in gaps in learning," the group says. 

"Likewise, learning must continue even without an official school year," it adds.

Fourteen of the 17 mayors of Metro Manila agree to a shift to a general community quarantine by June 1, the scheduled end of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, The STAR reports, quoting Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

Olivarez is also chairperson of the policy-making Metro Manila Council.

The STAR also reports that, aside from Olivarez, Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian and Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco also favor a shift to GCQ.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology says it is set to conduct online seminars to prepare teachers under the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to adapt to alternative learning systems under the "new normal."

“ICT has become crucial for retaining a sense of continuity for our society, especially in the education sector. DICT is here to help upskill the ICT capacity of our teachers in order for them to utilize the full potential of ICT in providing quality education to their students given the disruptions in holding face-to-face classes,” Secretary Gregorio Honasan II says.

A labor group expresses concerns over the announcement of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on its latest proposal to start a new “Salary Subsidy” program.

Based on the proposal, around 20-25% of the workers’ minimum wage will be subsidized to aid employers under small, medium and micro businesses in order for them not to terminate their employees in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Before starting new rounds of salary subsidy, cash assistance measures or programs, the Labor Department must first report to our workers and people how the billions of public funds were spent and distributed considering that majority of our affected workforce did not receive any assistance,” says Thadeus Ifurung, Defend Jobs Philippines spokesperson.

The city government of Valenzuela announces that they have signed a new memorandum of agreement with fifth COVID-19 laboratory partner, Hi-Precision Diagnostics (HPD).

HPD is currently on the fourth stage of the accreditation process of the Department of Health to be a COVID-19 laboratory. The company can process swab samples referred by the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit once it reached stage 5 of the accreditation.

Sen. Koko Pimentel, who is facing a complaint for breaching quarantine protocols, reminds landlords that evicting tenants are illegal during the lockdown period.

"In the time of COVID-19, the eviction of boarders, bedspacers, renters or lessees who are not able to pay their rent is illegal because they have a minimum of 30-day grace period to pay (without interest and penalty) after the ECQ or MECQ," Pimentel says in a statement Friday.

The senator adds that those who are affected may report to the Department of Trade and Industry's Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau.

Migrante International urges the government to urgently repatriate all stranded Filipino migrants and persuade governments of other countries to implement amnesty programs or grace periods. 

"The Duterte government must prioritize the safe return of our kababayans. Forcing them to pay hefty fees for supposed healthcare services which they don’t get in quarantine facilities is tantamount to sequestering them to extract ransom," the group says in a statement.

Almost all families have received food-help since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a special Social Weather mobile phone survey.

The poll released Thursday night shows that the government was the most common source of food-help at 99%, followed by relatives at 22%, private groups or institutions at 16%, friends at 10% and private individuals at 8%.

The survey was conducted using mobile and computer assisted telephone interviewing among 4,010 working-age Filipinos nationwide. The poll was conducted from May 4 to 10.

The Department of Public Works and Highways says they are mobilizing the conversion of Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna to address the need for healthcare facilities. 

Secretary Mark Villar says the quarantine facility has a total of 68 bed cubicles and will cater to patients from the province of Laguna and other areas from the Southern Tagalog Region. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs says they continue to repatriate Filipinos from all over the globe by welcoming home 190 overseas Filipino workers from Singapore on Wednesday. 

"The 190 Filipino repatriates underwent the appropriate medical protocols upon arrival as required by the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine," the DFA says in a statement.

"They will also be required to undergo quarantine in accordance with the omnibus guidelines established by the Inter-Agency Task Force," it adds.

The city government of Taguig announces that it has moved the deadline for the payment of taxes, fees and charges from May 20 to June 30, 2020 amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Through Executive Order No. 09, Mayor Lino Cayetano is further extending the deadlines of “all business taxes, real property taxes, transfer taxes, amusement taxes and other taxes, fees, charges and other financial obligations, due and payable to the Taguig City Government during the period of the enhanced community quarantine,” the local government says in a statement. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs announces that they have brought home 347 Filipinos from Dammam and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday.  

Among the repatriated overseas Filipino workers were 16 pregnant women, nine minors, including five babies, one male stretcher case, and one recovering stroke victim.

Many of the repatriates were severely affected by the closure of businesses in Saudi Arabia brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the DFA says.

The city government of Parañaque announces that it will impose a "calibrated lockdown" in 10 barangays in the city. 

The "calibrated lockdown" will start on Thursday until Saturday (May 21 to 23, 2020).

Metro Manila and other areas in the NCR Plus bubble go into the more relaxed Modified ECQ starting April 12. MECQ has more restrictions than the general community quarantine. Bookmark this page for updates. Photo by The STAR/Michael Varcas