Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson Benhur Abalos, Jr. expressed hopes that decrease in COVID-19 infections will be seen in the coming weeks.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced today that General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with added restrictions will be implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR) including Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal beginning Monday, March 22 until April 4, 2021.
Chairman Abalos said this new measure has been discussed with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) since yesterday amid the spike in COVID-19 infections.
“We welcome this, it has gone through review by different sectors from the mayors, from the national agencies of the government, from NGOs (non-government organizations),” Abalos told PTV News in a phone interview.
“Because of the current trend right now, medyo napupuno na ang hospitals natin (hospitals are nearly filled). ‘Yung (The) spike is quite alarming. We hope we could turn the tide down,” MMDA Chairperson Benhur Abalos, Jr. added.
Yesterday, March 20, the Department of Health (DOH) reported a daily record-high of 7,999 new COVID-19 cases in the Philippines
Meanwhile, Abalos assured workers that there will be smooth travel in the areas within the ‘bubble GCQ’.
Based in the new IATF resolution, only essential travels will be allowed in and out of Metro Manila as well as the other areas placed under GCQ.
“The checkpoints would not be in the boundary of Metro Manila anymore, but it could be through the other areas. So on the part of Rizal probably and its neighbors, on the part of Bulacan and probably Pampanga, its neighbors and other areas. And also on the part of Laguna, and its neighbors. Parang inatras mo lang ‘yung border control (It is like pulling back the border control),” Abalos explained.
Unified curfew hours in Metro Manila
With the duration of GCQ ending on April 4, Abalos said the unified curfew hours of 10PM to 5AM over NCR will also be implemented until the said period.
The Metro Manila Council previously agreed to implement the unified curfew hours for two weeks which began March 15 last week.
“Itong nangyari parang back to zero ka na. Dito ka na ulit magbibilang. (Because of what happened, it’s like going back to zero. You have to count from here). For purposes right now of counting this bubble and regulations nito (like these), you have to count by tomorrow when it will be implemented,” Abalos clarified. —Patrick de Jesus
