The quarantine status in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the Davao Region could be elevated in February, Malacañang said on Thursday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque floated the possibility of imposing stricter community quarantine measures in the Cordillera and Davao regions next month after bed care utilization rate and healthcare utilization rate in the two areas reached “moderate risk.”
“Ang CAR at ang Region 11, dahil nga po halos nasa moderate risk na sila, candidates po iyan for escalation of community quarantine (CAR and Region 11, since they already reached the moderate risk, are candidates for escalation of community quarantine),” Roque said in a virtual Palace press briefing.
A modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) has been imposed in CAR for the whole month of January.
On the other hand, only Davao City and Davao del Norte are currently under general community quarantine (GCQ) while the rest of the areas in the Davao Region (Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, and Davao Oriental) are under MGCQ.
Roque did not say the specific quarantine classification that might be implemented in the CAR and Davao regions in February.
He said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases would meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the quarantine classifications that will be imposed in different areas in the country next month.
He, however, refused to drop hints about the new quarantine rules nationwide.
“Hintayin po hintayin natin ang final (Let’s wait for the final [announcement]),” Roque said.
Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte would not hold a televised public address this week to present the new quarantine classifications.
He, nevertheless, said the new quarantine status would be announced before Feb. 1.
He added that local government units (LGUs) had already been informed of the quarantine levels that will be implemented in their respective jurisdictions beginning next month.
“Notice has been given to iba’t ibang mga LGU dahil kinakailangan naman po silang maghanda (Notice has been given to different LGUs because they need to prepare),” Roque said. (PNA)
