Areas with ‘critical’ Covid situation to be put under ECQ

MANILA – The areas in the country that are on “critical” level due to the continuing spike in Covid-19 infections will be put under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Malacañang said on Thursday.

In an online press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque floated the possibility that the ECQ status, the most restrictive quarantine level, might be implemented in areas with critical Covid-19 situations.

Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF-EID) quarantine recommendations would be based on the daily Covid-19 attack rate, two-week growth rate, and health care utilization rate.

“So, kung sa ibang mga probinsya ay ‘yung two-week average attack rate at daily attack rate and hospital care utilization rate ay lahat maging kritikal, hindi naman po tayo mag-aatubiling mag-impose ng ECQ (So, if the two-week average attack, daily attack rate, and hospital care utilization rate become critical in provinces, we will not hesitate to impose ECQ),” he said.

Roque issued the statement amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in Calabarzon and Central Luzon regions.

He said the IATF-EID would hold a meeting on Thursday afternoon to discuss the new quarantine classifications that would lapse in some areas by Aug. 20.

The ECQ status has been imposed in Metro Manila and Laguna until Aug. 20.

On the other hand, Bataan has been placed under ECQ until Aug. 22.

The more relaxed quarantine classifications have been implemented in the rest of the country until the end of the month.

‘Tentative’ Talk to the People

Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte might announce the new quarantine status during his regular Talk to the People scheduled on Friday.

Roque, however, said the holding of the Talk to the People is still “tentative.”

“There’s a tentative Talk to the People on Friday. I think we expect the President to announce it,” he said.

Roque said the announcement on new quarantine classifications might be announced before Duterte’s public address since the ECQ status in Metro Manila and Laguna will end on Friday.