By Celerina Monte

President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected the proposal to place Metro Manila under "circuit breaker" lockdown and instead maintained the region under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions from August 1 to 15 amid cases of COVID-19 Delta variant.

In the pre-recorded "Talk to the People" aired past midnight of Thursday, Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to also retain the enhanced community quarantine classification of Iloilo City and Iloilo province in Region 6 and Cagayan de Oro City and Gingoog City in Region 10 starting August 1 until August 7.

Under modified enhanced community quarantine classification are Ilocos Norte in Region 1; Bataan in Region 3; and Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City in Region 7 from August 1 until August 15.

Aside from the National Capital Region, also placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions from August 1 to August 15 are Ilocos Sur in Region 1; Cagayan in Region 2; Bulacan in Region 3; Laguna, Lucena City, Cavite and Rizal in Region 4-A; Naga City in Region 5; Antique, Aklan, Bacolod City and Capiz in Region 6; Negros Oriental in Region 7; Zamboanga del Sur in Region 9; Misamis Oriental in Region 10; Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro and Davao Occidental in Region 11; and Butuan City in CARAGA.

Baguio City and Apayao in the Cordillera Administrative Region; City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino in Region 2; Quezon and Batangas in Region 4-A; Puerto Princesa in Region 4-B; Guimaras and Negros Occidental in Region 6; Zamboanga Sibugay, City of Zamboanga and Zamboanga del Norte in Region 9; Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur in Region 11; General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and South Cotabato in Region 12; Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Sur in CARAGA and Cotabato City in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are placed under GCQ classification for the entire month of August.

All other areas are placed under modified general community quarantine classification from August 1 to August 31.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said new classifications are subject to the appeals of the local government units.

OCTA Research has recommended that Duterte placed at least Metro Manila under circuit breaker lockdown amid the cases of more infectious and more dangerous COVID-19 Delta variant. DMS