New rules: 'Low-risk' areas will now be under Modified General Community Quarantine
MANILA, Philippines — Areas classified as “low risk” for virus transmission will remain under community quarantine, the government’s coronavirus task force said Wednesday, a reversal of its previous announcement that stirred up alarm from local officials.
Areas considered “low risk” will now be placed under modified general community quarantine beginning May 16, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in a press briefing.
“There will be no areas in the Philippines that will not be under community quarantine. There will just be different levels,” Año said in Filipino.
In an announcement on Tuesday afternoon that was supposed to be given on Monday night, the Palace said that community quarantine will be lifted in areas considered at low risk of transmission of COVID-19.
The DILG chief said the task force will amend the resolution that declared 37 provinces and 11 cities, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as “low risk” areas, which “shall no longer be under community quarantine without prejudice to strict observation of minimum health standards” by mid-May.
Año said the government changed its mind after local chief executives expressed alarm that lifting community quarantine measures could trigger new coronavirus outbreaks.
“Local chief executives will have guidelines on how to implement modified general community quarantine so they can still have powers to stems the spread of the virus,” he said.
The government identified the following regions as low-risk:
- Region I (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)
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