Palace backtracks, MM under MECQ until Sept. 15
Taking back its earlier announcement of a shift to a less strict quarantine restriction, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Metro Manila will be under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine until September 15.
In a text message to reporters, Roque noted that the MECQ will be maintained until the 15th, “or until the pilot [general community quarantine] with Alert Level System is implemented, whichever comes first.”
In a press briefing, Roque said he was instructed at the last minute not to discuss the granular lockdown’s guidelines, noting that they’re waiting for suggestions and inputs from local government units.
The sudden switch back to MECQ comes as the country continues to deal with the rising cases of COVID-19 infections. To date, health authorities have recorded 2.12 million coronavirus infections in the country; over 158,000 are active cases as of Tuesday.
