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NCR Plus: Metro Manila, 6 neighboring provinces stay under GCQ till July 15

Philstar.com

June 28, 2021 | 11:06pm

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila and its close provinces will remain under general community quarantine with restrictions starting July 1 till July 15 as COVID-19 cases continue to drop.

The pandemic task force in a taped meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday recommended to keep the quarantine restrictions in the capital region and four provinces despite a decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.

This was after the independent OCTA Research Group urged the national government to keep the GCQ status for NCR Plus. Experts also backed continuing measures to prevent a "rebound surge."

Health authorities and experts have noted that while the situation in the capital region has improved, an uptrend in infections was detected in 12 other regions, especially the Davao Region. These include more urbanized locations such as the cities of Iloilo, Naga, Lucena, Cagayan de Oro and Puerto Princesa.

These areas will be observing the stricter "modified enhanced community quarantine" or MECQ for the same period.

Here is the complete list of areas under MECQ and GCQ.

MECQ

Region 2: Cagayan
CAR: Apayao
Region 3: Bataan
Region 4-A: Lucena City
Region 4-B: Puerto Princesa
Region 5: Naga City
Region 6: Iloilo City, Iloilo province
Region 7: Negros Oriental
Region 9: Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte
Region 10: Cagayan de Oro City
Region 11: Davao City, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte
CARAGA: Butuan City, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Sur

GCQ

NCR Plus: National Capital Region, Rizal and Bulacan — with some restrictions until July 15
Region 4-A: Laguna and Cavite — with heightened restrictions until Juyl 15
Region 4-A: Batangas and Quezon
CAR: Baguio City and Ifugao province
Region 2: City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino
Region 6: Guimaras, Aklan, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Antique and Capiz
Region 9: Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Zamboanga
Region 10: Iligan City
Region 12: General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato
BARMM: Cotabato City

"NCR Plus" which includes Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan was returned to GCQ in mid-May, after months of hard lockdown due to a surge in infections that overwhelmed hospitals in the quarantine bubble.

The rest of the Philippines, meanwhile, are under the lowest quarantine classification, or MGCQ, allowing businesses to fully operate while minimum health protocols are social distancing and wearing of face masks and shields are observed.

Other updates

Coronavirus cases in the country reached 1,403,588 on June 28, as officials reported 5,604 new infections.

Deaths have since climbed to 24,456, while recoveries have stood at 1,327,103.

Peace Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr, vaccine czar, says the country has achieved the target vaccination of 5 million a month. Government plans to further ramp up vaccinations to 8 million a month.

On June 29, some 99,600 more doses of Moderna will be delivered, after the arrival of the initial 249,600 doses on June 27.

More doses are seen by July: 5.5 million doses from Sinovac, 1.17 million from AstraZeneca for the private sector and local governments, 250,000 on July 12 from Moderna, 2 to 4 million doses from COVAX, and some 800,000 to 1 million donated doses from the United States.