Malacañang said on Tuesday that if coronavirus diseases cases in Metro Manila would continue to increase, it might remain under the general community quarantine or might go back to modified enhanced community quarantine.

This was after the Department of Health reported on Monday there were 331 fresh COVID-19 cases and 248 late cases. On Tuesday, the DOH said there were 280 fresh cases and 238 late cases, bringing the total COVID-19 cases to 22,992.

In a virtual press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is set to hold a meeting on Wednesday on what would happen on June 16.

"All the decisions of IATF whether or not to graduate to the next regime, in the case of Metro Manila to MGCQ, is always dependent on data. We're looking into case-doubling rate and the critical care capacity," he said.

"If the trend continues, either may be we will continue to GCQ or we revert to modified ECQ, because all classifications are flexible depending on the data," Roque explained.

Metro Manila, along with a few other places, is under GCQ until June 15.

Meanwhile, Roque said he was informed by Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista that by next week, they would be ready to distribute the second tranche of cash assistance under the Social Amelioration Program.

"It will take them two days to distribute electronically and the rest with the assistance of the Armed Forces," he said.

He also said that the Department of Transportation might also tap jeepneys for "delivery service."

Jeepneys are still barred from plying the streets in the country.

Roque said there was no update yet on the plan to tap the displaced jeepney drivers as COVID-19 contact tracers. Celerina Monte/DMS