One more week of ECQ

With a running average of 12,000 cases recorded daily, President Duterte approved last night the recommendation of the government task force against COVID-19 to extend by another week, until April 11, the stricter enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal.

- CHRISTINA MENDEZ

A near-empty EDSA is seen as the government implements an enhanced community quarantine for the Holy Week in Metro Manila. Major highways and roads were eerily quiet on Good Friday and churches were deserted after religious gatherings were prohibited. MICHAEL VARCAS

As part of efforts to strengthen the campaign against COVID-19, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said local government units (LGUs) are tasked to intensify further the daily monitoring of cases.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) also directed the National Task Force czars – composed of Cabinet secretaries tasked to monitor their respective areas – to ensure that proper government support as well as the strict implementation of health protocols are followed to the letter by the LGUs.

Roque said the IATF pushed for the implementation of the PDITR strategy, an acronym for the Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat and Reintegrate efforts of the government.

“President Duterte on Saturday, April 3, 2021, approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force to extend the enhanced community quarantine classification of the National Capital Region (NCR), Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal for one week starting April 5 until April 11, 2021,” Roque said.

The government had placed the NCR, along with Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal provinces – or NCR-Plus – under ECQ from March 29 to April 4.

“After a week, once we established the PIDTR (mechanism) worked after a week, we can go back to MECQ (Modified ECQ), but only after we review it,” he said, referring to the possible moving towards to the less strict quarantine classification.