Manila Bulletin

NCR stays under stricter GCQ

ECQ for Iloilo, three other areas until Aug 7

By GENALYN KABILING

The government is keeping strict quarantine restrictions in several parts of the country next month to stem the surging cases of the Delta coronavirus variant.

President Duterte has approved to retain Metro Manila or the National Capital Region (NCR) and several areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” from August 1 to 15 to curb the coronavirus outbreak.

Iloilo province and three other places will also remain under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) from August 1 to 7 as a precaution against the virus spread.

“It would be good to adopt stricter measures for the protection of the people," the President said during a taped televised address late Wednesday, July 28, in approving the country's risk classification for

the month of August.

“Itong variant Delta is causing so much scary stories for us kaya kung sabi na (so if they say) four times more aggressive, more transmissibility is faster than the usual COVID-19, nakakatakot nga (it is really scary). So the best way really is to double the time in the inoculation of people,” he added.

The latest quarantine classification levels of the cities and provinces were recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) during a meeting Wednesday.

The country has so far recorded more than 1.5 million coronavirus cases, including 119 cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant. Twenty-five of these Delta cases were reportedly detected in Metro Manila.

‘Ayuda’ for ECQ areas

Meanwhile, Duterte approved the distribution of cash aid (“ayuda”) to residents in need in areas under ECQ.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the announcement after Duterte approved the recommendation to place Iloilo City, Iloilo Province, Cagayan de Oro City, and Gingoog City under ECQ.

In his press briefing on Thursday, Roque said the cash aid will come from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

He said each resident in the said areas may receive P1,000 or up to a maximum of P4,000 per family.

“The President has approved the distribution of P1,000 cash aid to residents in need in areas under the ECQ and this is up to a maximum of four persons per family,” Roque announced.

“The funds are being downloaded to the local governments of) Iloilo province, Iloilo City, Cagayan De Oro City, [and] Gingoog City,” he added. (With a report from Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)

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2021-07-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

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