For Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, NCR could be placed under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) after June 15.
“Personally, gusto ko nang maluwagan itong Metro Manila, maging MGCQ,” Lorenzana said at a Laging Handa press briefing Friday.
(Personally, I wan to ease the [quarantine] in Metro Manila, for it to be under MGCQ.)
He, however, said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for Management of Emerging Infectious Disease is still discussing their recommendation.
“Pero depende pa rin ‘yan sa magiging rekomendasyon ng task force kung anong mangyayari sa Metro Manila,” the Defense chief said.
(The fate of Metro Manila would still depend on the recommendation of the task force.)
Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said Friday that Metro Manila would most likely remain under GCQ (general community quarantine) after June 15.
Año, in a televised interview, noted that the National Capital Region continues to record “fresh” coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases after ii shifted to GCQ.
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“Ang aking pananaw kasi although compared mo ‘yung threat, kumbaga mas mababa ‘yung numero kung overall pero wala pa sa downtrend eh. Patuloy pa ring may mga fresh o new cases,” Año told CNN.
(For me, although the numbers are lower compared to the overall total, there is still no downtrend. Fresh or new cases are continually recorded.)
“If we are going to relax it now, baka madapa eh. Ibig sabihin okay na tayo pero niluwagan mo, bumalik na naman o nagkaroon ng mas maraming [cases]. Para sa akin 50/50 pero mas lamang magreremain sa GCQ,” he added.
(If we are going to relax it now, we could fall. It means we are doing fine then we eased the quarantine, we now have more cases. For me, it’s 50/50, but most likely, we would remain in GCQ.)
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also said earlier it should be ensured that the number of COVID-19 cases would not increase if the government would implement the more relaxed community quarantine.
Roque also said the task force is still deliberating if areas under the MGCQ would be lowered to “new normal” and those under GCQ like NCR would shift to MGCQ.