COVID-19 THREAT

Duterte orders Luzon-

wide 'enhanced
community quarantine'
Published March 16, 2020 3:34pm
Updated March 16, 2020 9:27pm
By VIRGIL LOPEZ, GMA News
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President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said the enhanced community

quarantine in Luzon to address the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19) will run until April 13.

Duterte made the announcement in a televised address from Malacañang.

“Upon further study of worldwide trends and measures and the need for
extreme caution during such times as these, I have come to the conclusion
that stricter measures are necessary,” he said.

Duterte cited the spread of the virus in several areas in the country. The
Philippines has reported 142 cases, including 12 deaths, as of Monday.

OTHER STORIES

After placing Luzon on COVID-19 quarantine, Duterte says he will still go

out in public

Duterte studying whether or not to extend COVID-19 quarantine in Luzon

Duterte assures enough food during enhanced community quarantine
vs. COVID-19

“We do not have the luxury of time to wait if there is really such a connection
of a contagion somewhere. I cannot go into a guessing game. I have to act,”
he said.

The President maintained that the quarantine measures taken by government

are not tantamount to martial law.

“This is not martial law,” he said. “Huwag kayong matakot. Walang magdi-
display ng baril diyan except ‘yung mga members ng Armed Forces o police.”

Under the 1987 Constitution, the President is empowered to declare martial

law in times of invasion and rebellion when the public safety requires it.

Duterte used this power in quelling rebellion in Mindanao by extremist groups

accused of plotting a caliphate for international terror group ISIS.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo in the afternoon already announced

that Duterte declared an “enhanced community quarantine”.

“PRRD [Duterte] just announced an enhanced community quarantine in the

entire Luzon,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a message
to reporters, as Duterte met with several government officials at the
presidential palace to discuss developments on the COVID-19 situation in the
country.

Virgil Lopez
✔@virgillopez
President Duterte convenes the IATF-EID to discuss developments in

the COVID-19 situation in the country. : Sen. Bong Go @gmanews

7
4:04 PM - Mar 16, 2020
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Based on the guidelines released by the Palace last Saturday, the

government may implement an enhanced community quarantine.

Under this condition, strict home quarantine will be implemented in all

households, transportation will be suspended, provision for food and essential
health services will be regulated and the presence of uniformed personnel to
enforce quarantine procedures will be heightened.

The Philippines has so far recorded 140 COVID-19 cases, including 12

deaths, according to the Department of Health.

Duterte's decision comes after Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Interior Secretary

Eduardo Año and Panelo proposed for a total lockdown of Metro Manila just
two days into the implementation of a general community quarantine of the
region.

“This is a matter of national survival, we have to be resigned to that fact. This

is a matter of life and death. The only way to stop this is for us to help
ourselves,” Panelo told reporters.

On Monday morning, however, some commuters who had to go to their

workplace were seen crowding public utility vehicle terminals and train
stations despite reminders to observe social distancing or being at least one
meter away from another person.

Curfews ordinances were also passed by various local government units to

prevent individuals from roaming around the metro at night amid the threat of
COVID-19.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and House Minority Leader Benny Abante
earlier  pushed for the expansion of the community lockdown to the Greater
Manila Area as a step forward in containing the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19).

"I'm very supportive na gawing Mega Metro Manila na or Greater Metro

Manila yung community quarantine and everyday to be a little bit more strict,"
Cayetano said a press conference on Monday.

According to Cayetano, while a community quarantine has been imposed in

the National Capital Region and social distancing has been encouraged, they
might be quite difficult to implement given the huge volume of people in the
metro.

"First day of the week ito ha, so kung may mga adjustments, it will be done.
But I'm hoping Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, bantayan yung nangyayari sa
Metro Manila so that you can learn from our mistakes and then make the
adjustments," he said. -with a report from Erwin Colcol/KBK/NB, GMA
News

Duterte extends Luzon-

wide quarantine to April
30 - IATF
Published April 7, 2020 9:53am
Updated April 7, 2020 10:18am
By VIRGIL LOPEZ, GMA News

President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the enhanced community quarantine

in Luzon to April 30 to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19), Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Tuesday.

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Nograles said the President accepted the recommendation of the Inter-
Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases
(IATF-EID) to extend the Luzon-wide quarantine until 11:59 p.m. of April 30.

Duterte earlier announced he was inclined to extend the Luzon-wide

quarantine to April 30.

“Provided, that all exemptions granted by the Office of the President or the
IATF shall continue to be in effect for the duration of the extended ECQ,” said
Nograles, citing the resolution passed by the IATF on Monday.

“Provided further that such extension of the ECQ shall be without prejudice to
the discretion of the President to relax the implementation of the ECQ in some
local jurisdictions, or the granting of exemptions in favor of certain sectors, as
public health considerations and food security may warrant.”

OTHER STORIES

Duterte to listen to expert opinions on whether to lift or extend Luzon-

wide quarantine —Nograles

Gov’t working on COVID-19 recovery plan —IATF

IATF: Quarantine prevented situation where millions could be infected

with COVID-19

Nograles said an extension is necessary in order for the government to

determine the impact of the ECQ and further increase health capacity in
Luzon and other areas, including ramping up COVID-19 testing to 8,000 to
10,000 tests per day with a turnaround time of 24 hours.
Asked if the ECQ will be expanded to Visayas and Mindanao, Nograles said,
“We will continue to monitor Visayas and Mindanao. But they are not obliged
or under ECQ.”

"Right now, wala pang need," he said.

Vice President Leni Robredo and several lawmakers have called for an
extension of the enhanced community quarantine, which was originally
scheduled to end on April 13, to slow the spread of the virus.

Some senators, however, said food supply and movement of essential goods
and services must be ensured and that there should be mass testing for the
disease to allow early detection and treatment of cases.

The Philippines has, so far, recorded 3,660 COVID-19 cases with 163 deaths
and 73 recoveries.

Earlier in the day, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said

it is expecting an economic slowdown as a result of the Luzon-wide enhanced
community quarantine.

"Hindi pa po namin masyado ma-quantify, pero ini-expect namin talaga na

magkakaroon ng slowdown ang economy during the first quarter," NEDA
Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said in an interview on Dobol B sa News
TV.

Edillon, however, conceded that the worst is yet to come at this point,
considering that restrictions during the COVID-19 quarantine period have
hampered the flow of goods, among other issues.

"Two weeks lang ng enhanced community quarantine ang nahagip ng first

quarter, kaya slowdown [ang expectation]. The second quarter is a different
story," she said.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III earlier said the enhanced community
quarantine has already affected 1.8 million workers.

The government has initially alloted P100 billion as social amelioration aid for
18 million low income families and has increased subsidy for beneficiaries of
the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
—AOL, GMA News