Finally, residents and businesses of National Capital Region (NCR) will experience relief and added liberty as the national authorities declared that starting September 8 until September 30, Metro Manila will revert back to general community quarantine (GCQ) according to a report by the Manila Bulletin. It should be noted that August 2021 was full of restrictions for Metro Manila such as the sudden enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the prohibition on outdoor exercise and the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) (which saw an extension) due to the rise of COVID-19 cases. These same restrictions also resulted damaged to the national economy in the form of increased unemployment and further business hardship which prompted the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to make a proposal with economic recovery in mind.
Very recently, granular lockdown action happened around the NCR and such forms of restrictions look like will become the new normal for communities with infections.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
After enduring a month of strict lockdown, Metro Manila will shift back to a general community quarantine (GCQ) although it will also serve as the pilot area for the implementation of granular lockdowns starting Sept. 8 until the end of the month.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement on Monday, Sept. 6, or a day before the expiration of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status of the National Capital Region (NCR).
In his press briefing on Monday, Roque announced that Metro Manila will be placed under the more lax GCQ beginning Sept. 8. He also confirmed reports that granular lockdowns will be implemented in the region as a new tact against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Roque said limited dine-in services and religious gatherings will be allowed again in Metro Manila once it shifts to GCQ.
Granular lockdown
However, Roque said details about the granular lockdown were still being finalized and will be announced before Sept. 8.
He explained that it will be the governors and mayors who will decide on the granular lockdowns. The Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases can reverse the decision of the local chief executives, he said.
The Palace official explained that the granular lockdown should cover the smallest area as possible.
“The granular lockdown does not have to be an entire barangay. It can be a street, it can be a house, it can be a community. It should be as granular as we can,” he said.
According to Roque, the government shifted to granular lockdowns because the number of COVID-19 cases did not seem to go down despite the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ)–the strictest quarantine level possible.
“Ang tingin ng mga eksperto, mas epektibo po kung tayo po talaga ay magpapatupad ng systematic at scientific granular lockdowns (Exprets think that the implementation of systematic and granular lockdowns will be more effective),” he said.
We have the Lord to thank for the Metro Manila GCQ. So much economic damage has been done already and it is high time for businesses and the affected employees to move forward and lead the way for economic recovery. It is also high time for the faithful to be allowed to worship the Lord on-site at church facilities as it is a fact that online worship is very limiting (especially when Zoom is used as a digital platform). When it comes to public health, people of Metro Manila should have more freedom and time to exercise outside of their homes to gain fitness and strengthen their immune system which itself is crucial during this pandemic.
Of course, each and every individual has a personal responsibility to properly follow health protocols (social distancing, using sanitizers, contact tracing and more) whenever he or she enters a church to worship the Lord, or enter a restaurant or a personal care service provider to be served, or visiting random places outdoors. Each of us has a role to be taken seriously to stay safe, be safe and avoid getting infected while moving around in public to fulfill our respective objectives.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Does the new GCQ announcement for Metro Manila surprise you in relation to the daily high numbers of new COVID-19 infections?
If you are a Metro Manila resident, do you trust your mayor or the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) when it comes to making big, sweeping decisions that affect you and your family? Have you prayed to the Lord to enlighten all the government and community leaders so that they can do their jobs better and rightfully?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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Author Carlo Carrasco 