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| President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his public address in Davao City on Monday night (Aug. 17, 2020). (Photo from: PCOO FB page) |
[아시아뉴스통신=페이 기자] President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday night approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to put Metro Manila and four nearby provinces back to less restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ). In his public address in Davao City, Duterte said aside from the National Capital Region, GCQ will also be implemented in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal from Aug. 19 to 31.
Dutere added that Nueva Ecija, Batangas and Quezon provinces along with cities of Iloilo, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, and Talisay and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Consolacion in Cebu province would also be placed under GCQ. He, however, said “priority workers” in the sectors of manufacturing, tourism, and public service with high Covid-19 cases “may undergo RT-PCR test.”
He said employers of these sectors “are highly encouraged” to have their employees undergo Covid-19 testing “at no cost”. “We want to ensure the safety of our people. However, some sectors, especially the MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) are barely surviving,” Duterte said.
As he made the recommendation, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told the President that under GCQ, more industries will reopen and dine-in and religious services with up to 30 percent capacity will be allowed. “Almost all industries will reopen, except for mass gatherings like entertainment and amusement for kids,” Roque said.
