NCR may likely see gradual shift in quarantine status with restrictions: Abalos

MANILA - Metro Manila may likely see a gradual shift in its quarantine status but with restrictions as daily cases of COVID-19 cases decline in the capital region, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said Tuesday morning.

Abalos said Metro Manila Mayors have yet to convene to determine what quarantine classification they would recommend to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

• 6,846 new COVID-19 infections reported in PH; total active cases lowest in nearly 2 months

But he said with encouraging data, it is still best to slowly implement a more relaxed quarantine status.

“Kaya ang option siguro dito either i-status quo mo 'yung ngayon at may mga nagsasabing GCQ or siguro gitna, para bang with restrictions, unti-unti, hindi bigla,” Abalos said in an interview on TeleRadyo.

This was also echoed by OCTA fellow, Dr. Guido David who said trends in Metro Manila are looking good compared with the peak in the surge in early April. Positivity rate and hospital occupancy rate have also declined to 13 percent and below 70 percent respectively.

“We just caution na kung magluluwag tayo, sana gradual and calibratated 'yung pagluluwag natin ng restrictions kasi ayaw natin na magkaroon ng biglang pagbukas at matulad 'yung nakita natin sa Caloocan, 'yung masyadong nagiging excited mga kababayan natin na magtipon-tipon,” David said on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Philippines logged 1,108,826 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 59,897 active infections. The number of new cases on Monday at 6,846 is the lowest in four days, or since May 6 when 6,637 additional infections were announced, the ABS-CBN Investigative Research Group said.

“Bangungot talaga ang inabot natin nung ito’y nag surge yung mga variants, nung UK at South African, dapat talaga wag na maulit,” Abalos said.

Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Laguna, Bulacan, Rizal and Cavite are under an extended modified enhanced community quarantine until May 14.

But Abalos said border control is one of the issues that must be discussed by Metro mayors.

“Siguro pag-uusapan dito border restrictions. Ito po 'yung restrictions sa Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna at Cavite, kung maaalala n'yo po noon. Ito po ba ay i-reretain o hindi i-reretain. Pangalawa, 'yung mga nakabukas ngayon, tama na ba itong mga nakabukas? I-ime-maintain ba natin ito? For example ang dine in, ito ba ay 10 percent, gagawin mong 20 percent or 30 o reretain mo ng 10 percent at kung ano pang safe na businesses ang pwede mong buksan,” he said.

• Philippines receives 193,050 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Abalos said he is happy that more COVID-19 vaccines are arriving as the number of infections is declining in the country.

On Monday, the country received 193,050 doses of Pfizer vaccine from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility. As of Sunday, 2,409,235 doses of COVID-19 vaccines has been administered.

“So habang bumababa ang kaso nagbabakuna tayo and at the same time, ang mga mayors ay naghahanda, kinakausap pati ang private, tumutulong, nakakatuwa,” he said.