Metro Manila quarantine guessing game ends today

MANILA, Jun 15, 2020, The Manila Times. President Rodrigo Duterte lifts today, Monday, the shroud of suspense covering the kind of quarantine that will be imposed in Metro Manila, The Manila Times reported.

The President is seen to have three options: Extend the general community quarantine (GCQ), impose a modified GCQ (MGCQ) or revert to a modified enhanced community quarantine.

The same options apply to Cebu City and other areas where the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infection is still high, Malacañang said.

In an interview with DZBB radio, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. refused to give a clue on the next quarantine stage for Metro Manila.

All he allowed was that the number of Covid cases in Metro Manila and Cebu City has not dropped.

Parts of the country are either under GCQ or MGCQ until today.

Roque said under MGCQ, public gatherings up to 50 percent are allowed. “Even cinemas will be allowed to reopen, but at half capacity,” he added.

But in the end, it is the President’s call, Roque said. The primary objective is to find the balance between reviving the economy and providing medical care for Covid-19 cases, he continued.

“It’s a gamble so let the President make the decision,” he said.

During the same radio interview, the spokesman was asked whether a supplemental budget was needed to sustain the government’s Covid-19 response. A supplemental budget was possible only if the national treasurer certifies that there were enough funds for it, Roque said.

A lot would hinge on the availability of Covid-related loans, he said. The chances of acquiring the loans are good because the country enjoys a good credit rating, he added.

Roque stressed the importance of paying taxes “because we will know by Monday how much is left in the government’s coffers.”

He gave assurances that the government’s major infrastructure projects would not be abandoned.