15-day MECQ for NCR, Calabarzon and Central Luzon

AS expected, President Rodrigo Duterte gave in to mounting pressure from medical organizations wanting the government to revert the national capital region under strict modified enhanced community quarantine in view of the rapid spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

Aside from Metro Manila, Duterte also re-imposed strict lockdown measures in Calabarzon and Central Luzon. Specifically, areas reverted to MECQ include Metro Manila’s 16 cities, the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon in Region IV-A and Central Luzon, with strong emphasis on Bulacan.

MECQ takes effect August 4 and will last until August 18.

During a meeting with his Cabinet on Monday night, Duterte hinted on the need to address the concerns of the medical community whom he said plays the major role in the government’s battle against the global pandemic.

Interestingly, Duterte announced last Friday that Metro Manila would remain under the more lenient general community quarantine (GCQ) for two more weeks.

Metro Manila, considered the country’s Covid-19 hotbed, has been under GCQ since June 1.

Medical frontliners urged the government, however, re-impose the strict lockdown in Metro Manila for the next two weeks for a breather which they claimed would prevent an imminent collapse of the health care system amid the worsening national health emergency.

Likewise sought from the government is the adoption of comprehensive and effective measures to contain the outbreak, citing an overwhelmed health care system.

As of this posting the country’s total caseload stands at 103,185 following record high 5,032 additional markers, the highest single-day jump on record in the country.

Metro Manila accounts for more than half of the total infections nationwide. Death toll is pegged at 2,059 while the recoveries reached 65,557. 

Skeleton force

During MECQ, more businesses are allowed to operate with 50 percent of their employees on-site, but since public transportation is still restricted, “frontline workers or those who will return to work in allowed industries under the MECQ will have to take the public shuttle for frontline workers, or companies will have to provide shuttle service."  

Government offices will still operate with a skeleton workforce, same as during enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Each agency may adopt its own alternative work arrangements based on those set out in Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 10, series of 2020 (Revised Interim Guidelines for Alternative Work Arrangements and Support Mechanisms for Workers in the Government During the Period of State of National Emergency Due to COVID-19 Pandemic). (Fernan Angeles)