Palace says 10% capacity limit on religious gatherings only temporary
MANILA, Philippines — The 10% limit on the allowed venue capacity for religious gatherings is only temporary, Malacañang said Thursday, as it maintained that the loosening of restrictions should be done gradually because of the emergence of more infectious COVID-19 variants.
Under the general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions being imposed on Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, only up to 10% of the venue can be filled up for religious gatherings like masses, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19. However, commercial establishments were allowed to increase their venue capacities under the classification, which took effect last May 15 and will be implemented until the end of the month.
Earlier this week, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, a member of the government's pandemic task force, admitted that the limit imposed on religious gatherings was just a "plain oversight" and that the allowed capacity may be raised to 30% if there is no objection from the concerned local government.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, however, noted that the GCQ with heightened restrictions is different from the ordinary GCQ, where up to 30% of venues can be filled up. He said the limit on gatherings was a safety measure against the more transmissible COVID-19 variants.
"We are not yet sure of the extent of the prevalence of the new (COVID-19) variants especially the Indian variant so we decided to limit the religious gatherings to 10% (of the venue capacity) for now," Roque said at a press briefing.
"Don't worry because this is just temporary, it is an intermediate, between our transition from MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine) to GCQ. So we are reopening gradually," he added.
Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, collectively known as National Capital Region plus, was placed on a lockdown or enhanced community quarantine from March 29 to April 11 to address a rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 infections that threatened to overwhelm hospitals. The area, which accounts for about half of the Philippine economy, was downgraded to the more relaxed MECQ from April 12 to May 14 because of an improved healthcare capacity and COVID-19 case numbers. NCR Plus was placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions last May 15.
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