President Duterte extends NCR Plus MECQ until May 14
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| President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the MalacaΓ±ang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in MalacaΓ±ang Park, Manila on April 28, 2021. KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO |
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has approved Wednesday the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) placing Metro Manila and its adjacent provinces or the so-called NCR Plus under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until May 14.
Heeding the advice of health experts to give
breathing space to the struggling hospitals, the President put Metro Manila,
Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite and Laguna under MECQ.
Santiago City in Quirino province and Abra province
will also be under MECQ starting May 1, President Duterte said in a public
address.
Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga,
Mountain Province, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon, Tacloban,
Iligan City, Davao City, and Lanao del Sur will be under general community
quarantine (GCQ) while the rest of the Philippines will be under modified general
community quarantine (MGCQ).
During his address, the President apologized for
the two-week extension of the MECQ in the NCR Plus, stressing the move is
necessary to address the spiking number of COVID-19 cases and hospital
congestion.
“So mga kababayan ko, naghihingi lang ako sa inyo
ng paumanhin. I’m sorry that I have to impose a longer --- itong modified
enhanced community kasi kailangan. Nag-spike ang --- may spike ang ano, tumaas
‘yong infections at ‘yong hospital natin puno,” President Duterte said.
The chief executive appealed to the public to
follow government-mandated health protocols to prevent more people from being
infected and to help the country recover from the pandemic.
“So sumunod na lang muna kayo tutal para man ito sa
lahat. Ako ‘yong pinakahuling tao na mag-istorbo sa buhay ninyo. Sabi ko nga
eh, I want the people to be comfortable. So sometimes you have to interdict or
intervene because it is of national interest. But --- ibig sabihin para sa ---
for the good of all ‘yan eh --- tawag nito? Iyong health hazard,” he said.
The President said he will hold local officials
especially mayors and barangay captains accountable for not enforcing the law
and allowing people to congregate that in the end result to the increase in
COVID-19 infection.
The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded 6,895
new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, putting the country’s total infection figure
to 1,020, 495 since the start of the pandemic. Of the 67,769 active cases,
27,891 came from the NCR.
There were 935,695 total recoveries and 17,031 fatalities. PND
