The Senate will suspend sessions from Aug. 9 to 11 as Metro Manila enters into enhanced community quarantine for two weeks to curb the spread of the more contagious Delta coronavirus variant.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed the development in a message to reporters on Monday, adding that he would check if committee hearings could still push through virtually.
"Ang mahirap kasi sa hearings, we still need stenographers and of course they can't come to the Senate. So paano na yan? Wala naman silang equipment sa bahay. So baka yan wala din," he said.
The capital region will be placed under ECQ, the strictest form of community quarantine, from Aug. 6 to 20 due to the threat of the Delta variant.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Saturday said that should they suspend sessions during the ECQ, senators would have to work overtime this week to tackle as many measures as possible.
These include economic measures that President Rodrigo Duterte urged Congress to work on during his last State of the Nation Address.
Ahead of the ECQ, stricter border protocols were 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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