President Rodrigo Duterte has to limit his trips to his hometown, Davao City as a precaution against new Covid-19 variants that could be causing a surge in infections in the country, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte has opted to stay in his official residence at Malacañan Palace since traveling to Davao would require being accompanied by members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG).

“Nag-iingat lang po tayo dahil mataas po ang Covid kaya limitado iyong kanyang pagbibiyahe, pati nga po iyong pag uwi niya sa Davao ay hindi nga po siya nakauwi, kasi kapag umuwi, maraming PSG, madaming movement. So iniiwasan po natin ang kumbaga posibilidad na maapektuhan ang Presidente, kaya diyan na po siya, steady lang po siya sa kanyang residence (We are just being careful because there are high Covid infections that’s why his trips are limited, even his trips to Davao, he wasn’t able to return home because when he does, he would have to be accompanied by PSG. So we are preventing the possibility that the President will be infected that’s why he is staying in his residence),” he said in an interview over DZXL-RMN.

He said Duterte’s regular “Talk to the People”, where he is expected to announce new quarantine classifications for May, will push through on Wednesday night.

Since the start of the pandemic, Duterte has had to limit his public engagements as a health and safety precaution.

Early this month, some members of Duterte’s close-in security detail tested positive for Covid-19.

Roque has repeatedly assured that the 76-year-old President remains to be “in good health.”

He also denied rumors that Duterte has already been administered with a Covid-19 vaccine.

NCR (National Capital Region) Plus, which refers to Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, is currently under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of the month.

Besides NCR Plus, the City of Santiago in Isabela, Quirino (Region 2), and Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region are also under MECQ.

Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya (Region 2), Batangas (Region 4-A), Tacloban City (Region 8), Iligan City (Region 10), Davao City (Region 11), and Lanao del Sur (BARMM), and Quezon are under general community quarantine (GCQ).

The rest of the Philippines is under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

As of Tuesday, the country recorded 7,204 additional Covid-19 infections, bringing the total tally to 1,013,618.

Recoveries reached 925,027 with 10,109 more patients getting better while 63 more deaths brought the death toll to 16,916. (PNA)