THE cities of Cebu and Mandaue will shift to the less restrictive general community quarantine (GCQ) status, while Lapu-Lapu City will shift to GCQ with heightened restrictions, on Sept. 8, 2021, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said on Monday, September 6, 2021.
They will be under these new classifications until September 30.
The tri-cities had been under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) since August 1 due to a surge in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.
Cebu Province, under GCQ with heightened restrictions since August 1, will retain its status for the rest of the month.
Also shifting to GCQ on Sept. 8 are Metro Manila, Kalinga and Abra, Davao Oriental and the cities of Zamboanga and Iligan.
Other areas that will be under GCQ until the end of September are Benguet, Quirino, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Occidental Mindoro, Puerto Princesa, Aklan, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North and South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Lanao del Sur and the cities of Baguio, Dagupan, Santiago, General Santos and Cotabato.
Roque said, however, that this GCQ will be “stricter.”
He said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will issue new guidelines for these areas.
The provinces of Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan and Zamboanga del Sur will be under GCQ with heightened restrictions, along with Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Quezon, Batangas, Naga City, Antique, Bacolod City, Capiz, Negros Oriental, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental and Butuan City.
To remain under MECQ are Apayao, Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite, Lucena City, Rizal, Laguna, Iloilo province, Iloilo City and Cagayan de Oro City.
The rest of the country will be under modified GCQ, the least stringent quarantine classification.
Roque said the IATF is also finalizing guidelines for the implementation of granular lockdowns in various areas to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The government earlier said it will do away with the implementation of lockdowns per province to lessen the effects on the economy.