The IATF is expected to finalize today its recommendation regarding community quarantine protocols that will be implemented throughout the country starting August as current measures are set to expire on July 31.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said after the IATF-EID’s meeting “magkakaroon ng consultations sa mga LGUs at siguro po sa mga mayor muli ng Metro Manila bago po ibigay ang final recommendations sa ating Presidente. As in the past po, before August 1 malalaman po natin ang mga bagong klasipikasyon (there will be consultations with LGUs and maybe with the Metro Manila mayors as well before submitting the final recommendations to the President. As in the past, new classification will be announced before August 1).”
Although the possibility for NCR to return to MECQ has not yet been ruled out, Roque cited that the case doubling rate in NCR has slowed down.
“Mas matagal pa ang case doubling rate ngayon sa Metro Manila compared to the rest of the world. At kung gagamitin po ninyo ang guidelines ng IATF, kapag ganyan pong 8 days ang case doubling rate, GCQ po iyan ‘no. Pero titingnan din natin iyong critical care capacity (The case doubling rate for Metro Manila is slower than the rest of the world. If we use the IATF guidelines, 8 days of case doubling rate fall under GCQ. But we will still have to look at the critical care capacity),” Roque disclosed.
Roque also denied allegations that the government does not have a concrete plan to address COVID-19 as some people believe.
“Nagkaroon na po tayo ng Pre-SONA na tinatawag kung saan iyong ating mga economic managers po, dinitalye po iyong mga hakbang na gagawin natin para tayo po ay makabangon galing nga rito sa sigalot na dulot ng COVID-19 (We had a pre-SONA where economic managers detailed measures to be taken to recover from the COVID-19 crisis),” Roque clarified. – Report from Mela Lesmoras
