Despite the pain involved, Harry Roque, Presidential Spokesperson, describes the lockdown of Metro Manila as necessary due to a COVID-19 carrier variant known as Delta.
In preparation for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, Metro Manila will again be on lockdown mode from August 6 to 20.
New restrictions will be implemented as follows:
- From July 30 to August 5, there will be heightened and additional property restrictions for General Community Quarantine (GCQ)
- August 6 to 20 – Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ)
ECQ limits operation to essential establishments and industries. The hospitals, grocery stores, couriers, delivery services, and certain manufacturing firms will continue operating as usual.
Limited operations:
- Banking;
- Veterinary clinics;
- Telecom;
- Dentists, optometrists, and other medical clinics;
- Electricity and energy;
- Web services;
- Sanitation and water services;
- Educators;
- Some legal services can operate with a skeleton staff
There will be a suspension of public transportation. Nonetheless, Roque said the department of transportation has the option of allowing limited public transportation use.
Additional restrictions are triggered by the stricter GCQ period:
- Restaurant dining is prohibited; only takeout or delivery is allowed on July 30. (Restaurant operations can remain open until the end of business hours on July 30.)
- Personal care services establishments are limited to 30% capacity.
- NCR Plus includes Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, and Laguna (only authorized persons can travel outside of those areas).
- Close sporting and tourist venues indoors
- Attractions outside of the city are only permitted to operate at 30% capacity.
- No physical, religious gatherings allowed, only virtual ones
- Only immediate family members may attend wakes, funerals, necrological services.
- Public transportation is available.
As a result of the more transmissible nature of the feared Delta variant, Roque said the decision to return to lockdown was “painful.” On July 22, it was confirmed that the variant was transmitted locally.
A total of 216 cases of the Delta variant have been reported since Thursday, the day the government decided the capital region reverted to ECQ.
Understanding ECQ Policy
In light of the proposed two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) in response to an increase in Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections, below is a summary of activities that are allowed or not under the strict lockdown:
- Participants no older than 65 years old are allowed to participate in the ECQ program. Minimum age of 18 is required for participation.
- Also, some people may only purchase essentials and services when they go shopping.
- Exercise can still be done outdoors, but only within a barangay.
- Religious gatherings will only take place during the ECQ.
- The funerals and wakes of those who died of other causes besides COVID-19 are also allowed, but they must be limited to immediate family members.
- In the same way, vaccination activities will continue during the ECQ.
- While the lockdown is in effect, public transportation will remain operational at 50%.
- A person who is an Authorized Person Outside of their Residence (APOR) will be allowed to travel to or from NCR-plus areas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.
- For intrazonal travel, only APORs will have access to the NCR-plus areas.
The following have met the definition of APOR:
- Personnel uniformed and working in the health and emergency fields.
- A government official or employee on official business.
- Aid providers with proper authorization.
- Individuals were traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons.
- People are going out and in at the airport.
- Those were crossing the zone for work in an allowed industry—operators of public utility vehicles.
Old quarantine passes will also be honored as part of the latest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that will last until August 20.
Water and electricity services
- Meralco says there won’t be a disconnection in the ECQ and MECQ areas in August 2021
- During ECQ, Manila Water and Maynilad suspend disconnection
Whenever you go out
- According to DILG, quarantine passes are required again in Metro Manila during ECQ
- Metro Manila will implement an 8 pm to 4 am curfew on August 6
- In Metro Manila, ‘Hatid-sundo’ is now allowed during ECQ
- ECQ areas will be subject to the 1-tricycle, 1-passenger policy of DILG
Vaccinations continue
- Vaccinations against COVID-19 will continue during the ECQ
- The second round of vaccines will be provided to Metro Manila during ECQ
Services and offices of the government are unavailable.
- House suspends session for August ECQ
- Due to ECQ, there will be no Senate sessions from August 9 to 23
- The Comelec suspends registration in areas under ECQ
It is a part of the COVID-19 quarantine measures in the Philippines, a more considerable COVID-19 containment measure with varying degrees of strictness, and now we have the DELTA VARIANT.
