The Metro Manila Council (MMC) has allowed the capacity expansion of religious gatherings in the National Capital Region (NCR) to 30%, Malacañang announced Friday (May 21).
Based on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 116, local government units in areas under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions may expand religious capacity from 10% to 30%.
“Gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, [and] funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 shall be allowed, provided that the same shall be limited to immediate family members,” it reads.
The government also approved the following:
- Conduct of the 9th ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve meeting in the country;
- Resumption of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) voluntary and involuntary relocation activities for affected informal settler families;
- Boosting of contact tracing applications of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Antipolo, Valenzuela, and other areas, per approved National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) recommendation;
- Hosting of the 2021 Swimming National Selection Meet under a bubble-type format at the New Clark City Aquatics Center;
- Conduct of bubble-type training of Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and Olympic-bound athletes, provided that they comply with the guidelines set by the Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusement Board, and Department of Health.The vaccination of the athletes, together with their coaches and other delegates, has been deemed a priority.
Vaccine priorities
Select frontline workers of the Commission and Elections (COMELEC) and business process outsourcing industry were included in vaccination priority group A4. Liquefied petroleum gas dealers, retailers, and attendants were listed under priority group A4.2.
Meanwhile, a small working group was formed to study and formulate protocols for fully vaccinated individuals’ inbound international travel. – Report from Mela Lesmoras/AG-jlo
