BEGINNING June 15, 2021, curfew hours in Metro Manila as a deterrent to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) transmission will start at 12 a.m. and end at 4 a.m., Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos announced.
He said the mayors’ decision was based on the lower Covid-19 average daily attack rate of 6.76 per 100,000 population, the two-week growth rate of -16.5 percent, and minimal Covid-19 bed occupancy of 36.3 percent in Metro Manila.
The adjustment in the curfew hours signals a possible further relaxation of community quarantine rules in Metro Manila, which Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. also announced in a separate press conference Monday.
Metro Manila, or National Capital Region (NCR), is under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions until June 15.
Roque said NCR Plus will likely slide down to regular GCQ in the second half of June. NCR Plus consists of NCR and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is scheduled to finalize Monday afternoon its recommendation on the risk and quarantine classifications for the second half of June. President Rodrigo Duterte is set to announce the new classifications Monday evening, June 14.
Roque said Metro Manila will not likely be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the most lenient form of community quarantine, because the daily case count remains higher than the pre-surge level.
“It is likely na magiging regular GCQ most likely po, pero hintayin nalang po natin (It will most likely be regular GCQ, but let’s just wait),” he said.
Abalos said the decision to shorten curfew hours was made during a meeting on Sunday evening, June 13, 2021, of the Metro Manila Council, which is composed of all Metro Manila mayors. At present, the curfew is from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily.
A resolution containing the new curfew hours will be issued later Monday, June 14, or on Tuesday, June 15, Abalos said.
"This will give more time sa mga taong kakain sa restaurant, sa mga malls na magbukas, sa travel time, at makatulong ng husto sa ating ekonomiya," he said during the televised Laging Handa public briefing Monday. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)