The enhanced community quarantine to be imposed on Metro Manila starting Aug. 6 could extend beyond two weeks depending on the situation on the ground, Cabinet Sec. Karlo Nograles said Monday.
Nograles, who co-chairs the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19, said the government would look at projections based on the number of daily COVID-19 cases and the success of the lockdowns before deciding on the duration of the ECQ.
"We don't also know how long this ECQ will last. Right now it's just two weeks so far," Nograles told ANC in an interview.
"Imo-monitor natin yung numbers, imo-monitor natin yung vaccination rollout, we'll take it one day at a time but also mindful about the Aug. 20," he added.
Metro Manila will be placed under ECQ, the strictest of the four-step community quarantine classifications, from Aug. 6 to 20 to curb the spread of the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant.
From Aug. 1 to 5, the capital region would remain under general community quarantine with "heightened" restrictions in preparation for the ECQ.
"Then pag-ECQ natin, we'll take a look at projections again based on actualities in the ground. It's like a day to day basis, we can't really make accurate projections unless we see the numbers," Nograles said.
Ahead of the ECQ, stricter border protocols have been placed along the boundaries of Metro Manila and surrounding provinces Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal to ensure that only authorized persons outside of residence will be able to travel in and out of the bubble.
Public transportation will maintain operations in Metro Manila during the ECQ period, but dine-in and al fresco dining services, as well as indoor sports courts and indoor tourist attractions will be prohibited from operating.
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