President Rodrigo Duterte may decide on the new quarantine classification in NCR Plus by Friday, according to Malacanang on Tuesday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will give their recommendation to the president on Friday.

"So we expect that we will just call the President to inform him of the recommendation and he will decide whether it is approved or not," Roque said.

Duterte is in Davao City.

"So the announcement for the new quarantine classification (is) most likely this coming Friday," Roque said.

Duterte has extended the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite or NCR Plus until May 14.

Earlier, the OCTA Research Group said with the current 0.65 reproduction number in Metro Manila, the number of daily COVID-19 cases may drop to around 1,000 cases if the MECQ will be extended.

OCTA said they support a gradual reopening as it may maintain the downtrend of COVID-19 cases.

However, the group said contact tracing is important to prevent the transmission of the new Indian variant. Ella Dionisio/DMS