Chat groups have been buzzing overnight over posts declaring that a lockdown is being imposed on Metro Manila.
Last night, however, the government’s pandemic task force and President Duterte kept the general community quarantine classification for the capital region until August 15.
The Department of Health clarified that no lockdown has been issued.
Prior to this, members of OCTA Research called for a “circuit-breaking” lockdown in the National Capital Region due to the rising threat of the deadlier Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Metro Manila mayors also sought stricter restrictions to prevent a possible surge of infections in the region.
Some social media posts, however, started to spread ahead of official announcements, supposing the imposition of the circuit-breaking lockdown.
In an advisory on July 28, DOH attached screenshots of these and crossed them out.
DOH then advised the public that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has not yet recommended the tougher lockdowns.
“We would like to clarify that the IATF has yet to decide on the quarantine classification of Metro Manila and other areas,” it said.
“We remind the public not to share unverified sources of information to avoid panic and confusion,” it added.
It was later reported that President Rodrigo Duterte approved IATF’s recommendation for the new quarantine classifications.
Aside from Metro Manila, the following regions are also placed under GCQ plus heightened restrictions:
- Region 1: Ilocos Sur
- Region 2: Cagayan
- Region 3: Bulacan
- Region 4-A: Laguna, Lucena City, Cavite, Rizal
- Region 5: Naga City
- Region 6: Antique, Aklan, Bacolod City, Capiz
- Region 7: Negros Oriental
- Region 9: Zamboanga del Sur
- Region 10: Misamis Oriental
- Region 11: Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental
- CARAGA: Butuan City
Meanwhile, the regions under GCQ until August 31 are:
- CAR: Baguio City, Apayao
- Region 2: Santiago City, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino
- Region 4A: Quezon, Batangas
- Region 4B: Puerto Princesa
- Region 6: Guimaras, Negros Occidental
- Region 9: Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Norte
- Region 11: Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur
- Region 12: General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, South Cotabato
- CARAGA: Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Sur
- BARMM: Cotabato City
Quarantine phases imposed to the rest of the regions are:
Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) – August 1 to 15
- Region 1: Ilocos Norte
- Region 3: Bataan
- Region 7: Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City
Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) – August 1 to 7
- Region 5: Iloilo City, Iloilo province
- Region 10: Cagayan de Oro City, Gingoog City (component city of Misamis Oriental)