President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) which came out on Thursday with the community quarantine classifications of provinces and cities in the country until the end of the month.

In a video message, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said General Community Quarantine (GCQ) will be extended in the National Capital Region (NCR) starting July 16 until July 31.

Areas also under GCQ are Baguio City and Apayao in the Cordillera Administrative Region; City of Santiago, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino in Region 2; Bulacan in Region3; Cavite, Rizal, 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 in Region 11; General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, 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 BARMM.

Cagayan in Region 2; Laguna and Lucena City in Region4-A; Naga City in Region 5; Negros Oriental in Region 7; Zamboanga del Sur in Region 9; and Davao City in Region11 will be under GCQ with “heightened restrictions”.

“Aklan, Bacolod City, Antique, and Capiz in Region 6 shall also be placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions until July 22,” Roque said.

From almost 20 areas under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) it was down to nine.

These are Bataan in Region 3; Cagayan de Oro City in Region 10; Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, and Davao del Norte in Region 11; and Butuan City in Caraga will be under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).

Iloilo City and Iloilo in Region 6 shall also be placed under MECQ but only until July 22.

All other areas in the country will be placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) from July 16 until July 31.

“If their (COVID-19) numbers did not improve, it is possible that the classification in Iloilo City and Iloilo province will change,” he said.

All other areas in the country will be placed under MGCQ for the whole month of July. Ella Dionisio/DMS