Duterte extends MECQ in Metro Manila and other areas until May 14

President Rodrigo Duterte has extended for two weeks the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status of Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite.

Duterte announced in a pre-recorded televised address midnight today that the MECQ in the so-called NCR Plus areas will be in effect until May 14.

The following areas, meanwhile, will be placed under the general community quarantine, a classification with lesser restrictions, from May 1 to 31:

- CAR: Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province;

- Region 2: Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya;

- Region 4-A: Batangas, Quezon;

- Region 8: Tacloban City;

- Region 10: Iligan City;

- Region 11: Davao City;

- BARMM: Lanao del Sur.

The rest of the country will be under a modified GCQ, with “special attention to high risk areas” in Luzon, Region 6 and Region 9.

“There will always be a rise and maybe exponential ang takbo ng COVID pag hindi kayo sumunod sa batas,” Duterte said. 

Health Secretary Francisco Duque has earlier batted for an extension of the MECQ, while Metro Manila mayors lobbied for a "flexible MECQ," or an MECQ with certain concessions.

The country has so far logged 1.02 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic. According to the latest report of the Department of Health, there are currently 67, 769 active cases, with 17,031 total casualties, and 935,695 recoveries.