ECQ or MECQ, Metro Manila Mayors to Ramp Up Vaccinations

ECQ expires on Aug. 20.
Photo/s: Jerome Ascaño

Regardless of the strictness of  Metro Manila's lockdown, mayors of the capital region will ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations, MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos said Wednesday ahead of the expiry of the lockdown.

Mayors are weighing the economic and health benefits and risks of extending the ECQ in the National Capital region beyond Aug. 20, Abalos said. The Inter-Agency task Force on COVID-19 will decide on the metro's classification on Thursday.

"This is a very sensitive and critical matter right now," Abalos said in a press conference.

"Kung ito ay ECQ o MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine) ang mapapangako po ng mga lakalde ng Metro Manila ay dodoblehin nila ang pagbabakuna," he said.

Unlike in the previous months, mayors of Metro Manila made no community quarantine recommendation for Aug. 21 onwards.

"We leave it to the wisdom of the IATF," Abalos said.

Should Metro Manila be downgraded to MECQ, Abalos said mayors are expected to implement granular lockdowns as he acknowledged a surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.

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The Philippines in recent days has been reporting over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases daily as it rushes vaccinations to control the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

So far, the country has fully vaccinated some 12.5 million Filipinos against a target of 50 million by November 2021.

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