The country will remain under a form of community quarantine as long as the coronavirus exists and life will not return to normal unless a vaccine is found, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said even if the country is under the more relaxed modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), many areas in the country would still be under “extreme lockdown” if they have cases of COVID-19.
READ: NCR remains under general community quarantine
Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) removed the “new normal” classification in its community quarantine phases as it plans to keep lockdowns in place.
Local government units (LGUs) can place areas under the most stringent enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or the modified ECQ, while moderate-risk areas will be put under general community quarantine (GCQ) or the modified GCQ, Roque said.
Even if GCQ is declared in some areas, Roque said the situation remains “critical” since the threat of COVID-19 has not yet been eliminated. With no vaccine still in sight, he said, people cannot yet return to their pre-coronavirus lives.
“For now, there will be no new normal. This means that all areas in the Philippines will stay under community quarantine,” Roque said.
At the same time, Roque said restaurants will be allowed to serve dine-in customers until 9 p.m., after curfew hours where shortened to 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Restaurants in GCQ areas are allowed to operate their dine-in services at only up to 30 percent of store capacity while those in modified GCQ or MGCQ areas can operate up to half of store capacity.
Customers are required to observe physical distancing and wear face masks.
READ: Record 1,150 new cases sets total near 32k, UP team cites relaxed lockdown for surge
Meanwhile, an online survey conducted by the National Research Council of the Philippines found that predominantly middle-class Filipinos showed a high level of compliance with one of the world's longest lockdowns and other safety protocols, but had "little confidence" in the country's health care system to deal with the pandemic.
Most of the 288 respondents said they would agree to be isolated for three to four weeks should they contract COVID-19, or be placed under quarantine "even if healthy and knowing" that none of their close contacts had the disease.
The council said most respondents were taking the COVID-19 threat seriously and complying with preventive behaviors.
Governors and mayors were found to be the most trustworthy among government officials in providing information about the health crisis, the survey showed.
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto was perceived to be the "most effective" followed by Vice President Leni Robredo, whiel Secretary Salvador Panelo ranked below the midpoint in the trust category.
In the House, Rep. Ronnie Ong of the Ang Probinsyano party-list group welcomed the decision of the IATF to allow motorcycle pinion-riding for couples and household members.
Ong had argued that social distancing protocols on motorcycles should not apply to couples and family members who live, eat and sleep together under one roof.
The IATF ordered the relevant government agencies to come up with rules on pinion riding to ensure that COVID-19 minimum health standards are enforced.
Ong said he hopes the IATF would expedite the crafting of the guidelines as he noted that the main objective should be to provide the public with a safe but accessible mode of mobility amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Despite the move to finally allow city buses and modern jeepneys to operate, there is still a huge gap in terms of capacity and accessibility of these modes of public transport. We should allow people to ferry their family members on motorcycles to reduce the demand for the buses and jeepneys,” Ong said.
READ: PH death rate declining but new cases up
“Every day, we see a lot of stranded people on the streets because there is really a big gap on the capacity of these buses and jeepneys. We would definitely bridge the gap if we finally allow motorcycle back-riding among couples and family members,” Ong added.
Ong added that the IATF-EID can also allow motorcycle taxis but their guidelines should be different.
“Motorcycle taxis should have stricter safety and social distancing protocols if compared with motorcycles that are strictly for family members. The IATF-EID should prioritize those who are ferrying family members,” Ong said.
Also on Tuesday, Senator Christopher Go urged the executive branch to conduct a thorough review of the Hatid Tulong program, which intends to help locally stranded individuals, overseas Filipino workers and others who wish to return to their provinces.
Since Hatid Tulong is a directive from the President, Go said it is important to make sure that proper health and safety protocols are in place to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
READ: Critical care rate at 35%; cases near 30k
"Proper coordination must also be conducted to make sure that receiving LGUs are willing and ready to accept their constituents," he said.
"I am also urging the IATF to look into unauthorized travels and unsanctioned initiatives reportedly conducted by various LGUs and groups that do not comply with health protocols," he added.