President Rodrigo Duterte has placed again Metro Manila and a few other areas in the country under general community quarantine while Iligan City under modified enhanced community quarantine for the whole month of September amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was reached after Duterte met with some members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in Malacanang on Monday night.

Aside from the National Capital Region, also placed under GCQ from September 1 to 30 are Bulacan, Batangas, Bacolod City and Tacloban City.

"The rest of the Philippines is under modified general community quarantine," Duterte said.

Earlier in the day, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the new quarantine classifications would take effect for one month and not anymore for 15 days to provide stability, particularly in businesses.

He has said that the authorities would instead strengthen granular lockdowns in the community to ensure that COVID-19 infections would be contained.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in the same meeting, said that under MECQ, only 25 percent of the industry are operational. Only indispensable industries, such as banks, supermarkets, business process outsourcing, and export-oriented industries are open while mass gatherings, including religious services, are only allowed to have participants of up to five. Public transportation is also prohibited under MECQ.

For areas under GCQ, public transportation is allowed but the capacity is only 20 to 50 percent. Most of the industries are also operational and mass gatherings are only up to 10 people or 10 percent of the venue's capacity.

But Roque said in Metro Manila, the mayors requested that religious gatherings should only up to 10 people.

For places under MGCQ, all the industries are allowed to operate. While opening of cinemas and gatherings, such as religious, concerts and sporting events, are not prohibited, however, the capacity is only up to 50 percent, Roque said. Celerina Monte/DMS