The curfew hours from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. will remain even as the National Capital Region (NCR) shifts to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) today (Saturday) that will last until Aug. 31.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. said members of the Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 mayors in the NCR, agreed to reimpose the curfew after Malacanang announced the new quarantine status Thursday night.
Meanwhile, an MMC resolution prohibiting people from exercising outside their homes lapsed Friday. Outdoor exercises will be allowed again, Abalos said.
Abalos said the MMC accepted the wisdom of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IAFT) placing the NCR under an MECQ from Aug. 21-31.
“With the MECQ classification in effect, granular lockdowns shall be intensified, with the LGUs identifying areas where there are spikes in COVID-19 cases. LGUs shall also double-up mass testing, immediate isolation, and contact tracing to further control the transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases,” Abalos said.
On Friday, 585,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived in the country, 79 percent of which will be distributed to 38 local government units and the MMDA; and 21 percent of which will go to private companies.
“This will be a great boost to our efforts of ramping up vaccination in NCR,” said the MMDA chief.
During the recent two-week ECQ period, only essential businesses were open. Authorized persons outside of residence (APORs) including workers of essential businesses are allowed to go out. Non-APOR are not allowed to go outside except for emergency purposes and accessing essential goods and services.
Unlike previous MECQ in the NCR, indoor and al-fresco dine-in services, and personal care services including beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops and nail spas are not allowed.
Religious gatherings will remain online or virtual.
Meanwhile, as approved by the IATF, necrological services, wakes, inurnment and funerals will be allowed, provided the immediate family members of the deceased who died of causes other than COVID-19 present proof of their relationship with the deceased and fully comply with the prescribed minimum public health standards.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday announced that there will be no changes in the supply and capacity of public transportation as the National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, and Bataan downgrade from enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to the less restrictive MECQ.
“As the threat of COVID-19 and Delta variant cases soar, the public should remain vigilant, especially in using public transport. Just like during the ECQ period, there will be stricter enforcement of safety measures to ensure that only APORs are permitted to use public transport, as mandated by the IATF,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
Public utility buses and jeepneys are allowed to operate at 50 percent maximum capacity on a “one-seat-apart” rule. There will be no standing passengers and only one passenger is allowed to be seated in the driver’s row.
Motorcycle taxi services and Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) operations are allowed. Only one passenger per tricycle is allowed.
Philippine National Railways (PNR), LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 will continue during the MECQ period. Train marshals will be deployed to identify APORs and to help enforce strict health and safety protocols.
Domestic flights and sea travel in the NCR will also continue during the MECQ, subject to community quarantine restrictions of the passenger’s destination.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, said it will reopen its offices starting Aug. 23, but with a reduced workforce due to the alarming number of daily COVID-19 infections.
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said that beginning Aug. 23, the filing and service of pleadings and other court submissions should be done by registered mail, electronic mail, or through accredited private couriers.
He said personal filing may be allowed for “exceptionally urgent matters,” but only after the concerned personnel of the docket receiving section shall have received confirmation from the proper office that the matter covered by the pleading or submission being personally filed is indeed urgent.
Gesmundo earlier ordered the physical closure of SC offices from Aug. 2 to 20 after quarantine restrictions were tightened.
The government announced on Thursday that the NCR would be under modified enhanced community quarantine from Aug. 21 to 31.