The Metro Manila Council (MMC) is set to discuss on Saturday their recommendation for the Interagency Task Force (IATF) on whether they will lift or extend the enhanced community quarantine in the region.

In a TV interview, MMC chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said they will “most likely” look for another 15-day extension of ECQ. The ECQ is expected to end on May 15

Olivarez said 55 to 60 percent of additional COVID-19 cases in the country came from the National Capital Region.

Olivarez said the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will join the MMC in the 8 am meeting on Saturday.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), NCR has a total of 6,596 cases out of the 10,343 cases nationwide as Thursday.

“We will look on the recommendation of DOH and we know that for the past week, the curve flattened but there are additional positive cases everyday. It is not good since more than 55 to 60 percent of new cases are here in NCR,” he said.

“Most likely, we are looking at another 15 day extension because what we are worrying is the second wave,” he said.

Olivarez said the number of COVID-19 cases and the capacity of every LGU for mass testing will be factors on what will be their recommendation for the IATF.

“Metro Manila is interconnected… we have preliminary decided that MMC will only have one stand,” the mayor said.

Olivarez said it will be hard for employees if there will different kinds of community quarantine in the region.

“If both are not (under) ECQ or (under) GCQ, the employee will have a hard time going to work because of the boundaries at checkpoints,” he said.

If ECQ is lifted to GCQ, Olivarez said the “new normal” will have precautionary guidelines such as maintaining social distancing, wearing of face mask, 50 percent passengers on transportation and only 50 percent workforce in business establishments.

Earlier, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said by May 15, only few areas in Metro Manila which considered “high-risk” will still be under ECQ.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Luzon Island under ECQ last March 17 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 which was extended to April 30. On May 1, only those “high-risk” areas remain under ECQ while those “low-risk” areas were lifted to GCQ. Ella Dionisio/DMS