Mayors to set common policies for ECQ

MANILA, Philippines — The mayors of Metro Manila will “synchronize” policies that will be enforced in the metropolis’ 16 cities and one town during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) beginning next week, Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said yesterday.

Ordinances on the use of quarantine passes, checkpoints and liquor ban, among others, will be discussed, he said in an interview with dzBB.

Tiangco has alerted barangay officials in Navotas to get ready in case quarantine passes would be required again.

He also reiterated the mayors’ appeal for help from the national government during the ECQ, which will be from Aug. 6 to 20.

Aside from financial help for displaced families, Metro Manila should speed up COVID-19 vaccination during the two-week lockdown, he said.

Jab drives

The cities of Valenzuela and Manila will continue with their respective vaccination drives during the ECQ.

In an advisory yesterday, the Valenzuela government said “vaccinations in the city will proceed as scheduled.”

It said that residents who missed being vaccinated after their previous schedules were cancelled can be inoculated from Aug. 2 to 5.

As of Tuesday, 211,440 Valenzuela residents had received their first doses of COVID-19 vaccine while 111,209 are fully inoculated, including 1,635 people injected with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno also said yesterday the city government “will not stop (vaccinations) unless there is no vaccine.”

On July 28, Manila Barangay Bureau officer-in-charge Romeo Bagay issued a memorandum to all barangay officials to prepare to enforce the ECQ.

Among the guidelines in the memorandum is that only one quarantine pass will be issued per family and the procurement of essential needs will be done on alternating days.

Non-quarantine pass holders may go out for vaccination, provided they present their QR codes and waivers. – Jose Rodel Clapano