The lockdown in the entire Luzon has been extended until April 30 after President Rodrigo Duterte has approved it, a Cabinet official confirms Tuesday.
Karlo Nograles, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) spokesperson, said the President had approved their recommendation to extend the Luzon-wide quarantine from April 12 to 11:59 pm of April 30.
“Pagkatapos ng kanyang announcement ay vinerify po namin ulit [After his announcement, we verified it again] at ang sagot po ay [and he said], ang enhanced community quarantine is hereby extended until 11:59 pm of April 30,” he said in a virtual media briefing.
He said there is no need to expand the lockdown to cover Visayas and Mindanao
Also read: Scientist recommends lockdown extension; says PH needs 2-3 months to ‘flatten the curve’
Duterte: Luzon lockdown extended until April 30
The IATF earlier formally recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the extension of Luzon lockdown until April 30, 2020.
“The IATF formally recommends to the Office of the President the extension of the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine in the entirety of Luzon up to April 30, 2020, 11:59 pm,” Nograles said Tuesday in a virtual briefing.
“Provided, that all exemptions granted by the Office of the President or the IATF shall continue to be in effect for the duration of the extended ECQ. Provided further that such extension of the ECQ shall be without prejudice to the discretion of the President to relax the implementation of the ECQ in some local jurisdictions, or the granting of exemptions in favor of certain sectors, as public health considerations and food security may warrant,” he added.
President Duterte, during his public address Monday night, said the government is “inclined” on the extension of Luzon lockdown until April 30.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia on Tuesday said he create and submit a Luzon modified lockdown as the government said it is inclined to extend the lockdown until April 30.
“I would suggest that it would be some kind of a modified lockdown, maybe Metro Manila also easing some of the restrictions like transportation moving around, the opening of pharmacies and sources of food and other retail shops for basic needs of people,” he said.
As of this writing, the Philippines has 3,660 COVID-19 cases, 163 deaths, and 73 recoveries.