The Metro Manila area – encompassing the Entertainment City zone that is home to the Philippine capital’s large-scale casino resorts – will continue under so-called general community quarantine (GCQ) until at least August 15, as a Covid-19 countermeasure, said on Friday an announcement in the name of President Rodrigo Duterte (pictured in a file photo).
Casino complexes in the Metro Manila area, including the private-sector venues City of Dreams Manila, Okada Manila, Resorts World Manila and Solaire Resort and Casino, have been closed since mid-March due to the pandemic.
Harry Roque, the President’s spokesman, had previously said Metro Manila might have to revert to a stricter, “modified enhanced community quarantine”, should the Philippines exceed 85,000 Covid-19 cases by the end of July.
A total of 1,703 new cases for the national capital region was announced by the country’s Department of Health as of Thursday, out of 3,954 new cases for the Philippines as a whole.
It took the country’s tally of cases to 89,374, of which 22,327 were still active of that date. As of Thursday, the death toll was 1,983.
The President’s office said that in order to enable Metro Manila to keep its general community quarantine status, national and local government officials would implement in neighbourhoods with a high level of community transmission, a stricter localised lockdown or “enhanced community quarantine”. The authorities would also publicise the names of neighbourhoods that were under such enhanced controls.
On Friday the presidential palace said that Cebu City – which had been under a so-called “modified enhanced community quarantine” since July 16, had been downgraded to general community quarantine.
Cebu City had been under the strictest form of lockdown devised by the country’s authorities – “enhanced community quarantine” – from June 15 to July 15.
Areas designated on Friday as under general community quarantine were: Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal on the main island, Luzon; Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Minglanilla and Consolacion in the Visayas; and Zamboanga City in Mindanao.
