President Rodrigo Duterte will likely announce fresh community quarantine classifications for the month of May on Wednesday, April 28, his spokesperson said Monday.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 response is set to meet on Tuesday and will submit its recommendations on COVID-19 protocols to the President after, Sec. Harry Roque said.
"Ang talk to the people nga ay Wednesday so pwede nang si Presidente ang mag-anunsyo," Roque said in a Palace press briefing.
Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal are under modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ until the end of the month. COVID-19 protocols in the said areas were tightened last month due to a surge in infections.
Citing the recommendations of the National Economic and Development Authority, Roque said the government was considering the "total health" of Filipinos -- including COVID-19 cases and other economic factors -- in deciding on fresh community quarantine protocols.
"Tingnan po natin ilan ang nagkakasakit, ilan ang namamatay sa COVID at ilan ang nagugutom, ilan ang nagkakasakit at ilan ang namamatay dahil sa iba pang kadahilanan o kaya dahil doon sa dagdag na pahirap na nagbubunga dahil sa lockdown," Roque said.
Health Sec. Francisco Duque III on Monday recommended extending the MECQ by a week or two to help improve healthcare capacity.
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