Employers in industries that will resume partial or full operations starting May 1 in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) must not require their employees living in areas that are still under the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to report for work, a Palace official said on April 27.
Industries looking to resume operations are encouraged to employ individuals who are already living in GCQ areas. "’Yong mga nag-eempleyo siguro po papasukin natin 'yong mga nasa GCQ na para hindi mahirapan ng pagtawid-tawid," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in an interview on GMA News’ Unang Balita.
Employers are discouraged from calling on employees who live in ECQ areas to go to work in GCQ areas. The same goes for employees who live in GCQ areas but have work in ECQ areas, as checkpoints are still in place.
"Para maiwasan 'yung confusion sa checkpoint, mas mabuti po na kung pupuwede piliin ninyo na 'yung mga empleyado na hindi na tatawid mula ECQ to GCQ," he added.
On April 24, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) said that areas with high risk of having an outbreak would still be under ECQ until May 15. Areas with low to moderate risk of spreading the virus would be placed under GCQ starting May 1.
GCQ is more relaxed than ECQ. Under GCQ, food manufacturing, supermarkets, hospitals, along with water supply services, electricity supply services, telecommunication, and media are fully operational. Malls can open but are limited to essential services, and mass transport can start partial operations, with strict social distancing measures put in place. Airports and seaports will also be open to maintain flow of goods.
Individuals in GCQ zones can leave their homes to purchase essential goods, but cannot participate in social gatherings including religious ceremonies.
Here’s are the low-risk and moderate-risk areas under GCQ: