Shift to GCQ postponed because Metro Manila mayors had questions: NTF spox

MANILA – The shift of Metro Manila to looser quarantine measures was postponed because mayors had questions about its implementing guidelines, the spokesperson of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 said.

“Yung atin pong guidelines na inaantay ay hindi pa po handa, at hindi pa po naipapamahagi sa lahat ng mga mag-iimplement. At nagkaroon pa rin po meeting kahapon, ang ugnayan na ‘to ay kasama po ang mga Metro Manila mayors, at marami rin pong lumabas na mga katanungan doon na maaaring hindi pa rin po naging bahagi ng mga nakalatag o nakahandang guidelines na kinakailangan palawagin,” retired general Restituto Padilla said in a press briefing. 

The National Capital Region was supposed to shift to the looser general community quarantine (GCQ) with alert levels system starting Wednesday, September 8.

But on Tuesday night, Malacañang announced that NCR instead will remain under the second strictest lockdown level, modified enhanced community quarantine, until September 15. 

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Padilla said the appeal of some healthcare workers for an extension of stricter lockdown measures may also have been considered in the decision to delay the pilot implementation of granular lockdowns in Metro Manila.

“Kasama na rin po siguro ang panawagan ng ibang mga healthworkers natin na medyo idelay pa po ng kaunti, may panawagan yung iba na idelay nang two weeks.”

“Pero yung pinakamalaking bahagi po kasi niyan ay yung lumalabas na pangangailangan na mas palawigin pa yung guidelines nang sa ganoon, sakop na po lahat ng mga katanungan nung mga Metro Manila mayors at iba pang mga parties na naglabas po ng katanungan at clarification,” he said. 

Business groups had earlier cheered the shift to GCQ with granular lockdowns, which government hoped would better manage coronavirus infections and support the economy.

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The capital region is among areas in the country that have seen a rise in COVID-19 cases due to the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

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