Gov’t Rejects Calls For ‘Circuit-Breaker’ Lockdowns: ‘Heightened’ GCQ In NCR Until Aug. 15

UPDATE: Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. announced on Friday, July 30, that Metro Manila will be placed under enhanced community quarantine from Aug. 6 to 20, 2021.

Read More: NCR Reverts To ECQ From Aug. 6 To 20

The government on Wednesday, July 28, decided to retain the quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila despite recommendations by experts to place the capital region under lockdown to prevent the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19.

President Duterte agreed to place Metro Manila under general community quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions until Aug. 15, said presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr.

Malacañang insisted its decision to retain the classification in NCR was based on science.

Also placed under GCQ with heightened restrictions from Aug. 1 to 15 are Ilocos Sur, Cagayan, Bulacan, Laguna, Lucena City, Cavite, Rizal, Naga City, Antique, Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental and Butuan City.

The strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is extended for Iloilo province, Cagayan de Oro City and Gingoog City until Aug. 7.

Meanwhile, the more relaxed modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) is imposed over Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City until Aug. 15.

Regular GCQ is maintained over Baguio City and Apayao, Santiago City, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Quezon, Batangas, Puerto Princesa, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga City and Zamboanga del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Sur and Cotabato City.

The most lenient modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) will be imposed on the rest of the country.

Circuit breaker

The OCTA Research Group said they respect the government’s decision on the issue, but maintained its position calling for tightened restrictions.

“This position is supported by leaders in the business sector and in our LGUs (local government units),” said OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye.

In an interview with “Agenda” over One News on Thursday, July 29, OCTA fellow Guido David stressed the need to be proactive in responding to the situation.

“Let's look into the future. Let's think ahead and plan this ahead instead of waiting for it,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “Based on the numbers, the cases continue to increase so maybe we have to introduce more interventions.”

Guido said the government should not wait for hospitals to reach full capacity before imposing stricter measures.

Citing data from the Department of Health (DOH), OCTA said Metro Manila recorded an average of 1,041 new cases from July 22 to 28, up 29 percent from 809 daily new cases in the preceding week.

Rising cases were also recorded in Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City and the nearby Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue.

 Earlier, presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said the private sector would support the government should it decide to impose a two-week lockdown.

“If the government, Health Secretary (Francisco) Duque will push for a two-week hard lockdown, we will support it because we prefer that we solve the problem early and not wait for it to get bigger and we will have to lockdown for months,” he said.

“I think the fourth quarter is the most important quarter…. Because this is the quarter when consumers spend because of Christmas, this is the quarter that I believe election spending will come,” he added.

Sharing the same view on the lockdown, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. president Henry Lim Bon Liong recommended that companies provide salaries to their employees during this period if they can do so.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said his department also supports the recommendation of health and data experts to enforce the lockdown in Metro Manila.

Read More: DOF, NEDA, Business Groups Back 2-Week Circuit-Breaker Lockdown

Economic impact

Meanwhile, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) clarified on Wednesday night, July 28, that it is not endorsing another lockdown at this time, reversing what president emeritus George Barcelon said earlier in the day.

“Such a decision will cause the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs again, not to mention business losses of enterprises, which our citizens can ill afford,” PCCI acting president Edgardo Lacson said.

The Department of Trade and Industry also said that the economy could not afford a two-week lockdown for Metro Manila as this would mean P30 billion worth of lost wages affecting 1.8 million workers.

“The economy cannot bear another massive lockdown, unless the situation really calls for it. We lose P30 billion in wages for two-week lockdown. Lost of jobs will worsen hunger situation. More MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) will close down,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

 Not yet

For the DOH, there is no need yet to impose harder community quarantine over the rising cases of Delta variant.

“We have not seen that we are now on the stage that we are supposed to do this hard lockdown already,” Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News.

“We’re at moderate risk in the [NCR], but we don’t want to be alarmist, scare people and make them panic… we have 11 flagged areas in the NCR, but we are not seeing that [as a surge],” she added.

Anna Ong-Lim, a member of the DOH Technical Working Group on the New COVID-19 Variants, said different factors have to be considered before imposing stricter quarantine.

“Everybody is trying to figure out when to do hard lockdown. Should we be looking at other parameters like, maybe, rate or rise, rather than absolute numbers,” she said.

“All of these have to be put together because we know the implications of another stricter community quarantine,” added Lim.

Aid, vaccines first

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos said all 17 Metro Manila mayors called for stricter lockdown measures, as long as the national government can guarantee monetary aid for families and four million more vaccines for the region.

“We can’t do the ECQ without aid. And it would be a waste if there will not be enough doses during the ECQ. Everyone should at least be vaccinated with their first doses after the ECQ,” added Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco.

“However, we also need to vaccinate the masses to have a layer of protection against COVID-19. If the four million vaccines are given, that will cover the general population,” said Malabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Louella Desiderio, Janvic Mateo, Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Marc Jayson Cayabyab