(UPDATED) The National Capital Region (NCR), the provinces of Batangas and Lanao del Sur, and the cities of Iloilo, Tacloban and Iligan will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until the end of the year 2020.
Davao City, which was reverted to GCQ in mid-November following a steady increase in coronavirus infections, will continue to be under GCQ as Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio earlier announced while Davao del Norte province was placed under GCQ.
Bacolod City in Negros Occidental, which was under GCQ in November, was removed from the list.
The rest of the country, including Cebu City which is being closely monitored by the Department of Health (DOH) because of a recent uptick in coronavirus cases, will continue to be under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the least restrictive form of community quarantine.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced the quarantine classifications Monday night, November 30. These classifications will take effect on December 1 to 31, 2020.
To critics of the government’s Covid-19 response, Duterte stressed that there is still no cure for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“Kayong mga critics...na hindi na-handle ng gobyerno...alam mo, napaka-istupido talaga ninyo. Ang panlaban lang ng Covid is wash your hands, wear your mask and stay home. ‘Yan lang ang medisina n’yan. Hindi mo mabili sa botika ‘yan. Ilagay n’yo ‘yan sa utak ninyo,” the President said.
(To the critics saying that government’s response failed, you really are stupid. The only way to fight Covid is to wash your hands, wear your mask and stay home. Those are the only cure for Covid-19. You cannot buy those in the drugstores. Keep that in mind.)
“Walang gamot (No cure), except the vaccine,” he stressed.
Over the weekend, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the mayors in the NCR, or Metro Manila, have agreed to retain GCQ protocols in the region.
State television PTV reported earlier Monday that the Metro Manila Council (MMC) was amenable to modifying curfew hours to allow the people to attend dawn Masses or simbang gabi. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / SunStar Philippines)