The more restrictive modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus and other select areas will be implemented only until May 14, Malacañang said on Friday.

This developed after members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) held a meeting on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during the Laging Handa briefing.

“Isinapinal na po ang quarantine classification sa buong Pilipinas (The quarantine classification in the entire Philippines has been finalized),” said Roque, also acting as IATF-EID spokesperson. “Ang ating [MECQ] classification, lahat po iyan ay hanggang May 14, 2021 (Our MECQ classification in select areas will be imposed until May 14).”

On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that MECQ in NCR Plus, composed of Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, will be extended until May 14.

Duterte also initially declared that the City of Santiago in Isabela and Quirino and Abra provinces will stay under MECQ for the whole month of May.

Roque, in his latest announcement, said Ifugao will also be placed under MECQ from May 1 to 14 after its local government unit appealed to impose a stricter quarantine status amid the rising coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections in the province.

He said the IATF-EID will meet before May 14 to discuss the MECQ fate.

“So magkakaroon ng pagpupulong ang IATF para repasuhin at tignan kung dapat baguhin ang mga quarantine classification pagdating po ng Mayo 14 (The IATF will hold a meeting to review or assess the need to change the quarantine classification after May 14),” he said.

Roque said Puerto Princesa City, following the appeal of its local government, will be under the general community quarantine (GCQ) from May 1 to 31.

“Itong mga apela na ito ay para sa mas istriktong quarantine classification dahil ang sabi ng mga local na pamahalaan ay dumami ang mga kaso at hindi sapat ang kanilang mga hospital (The appeals are for stricter quarantine classification because the local governments [of Ifugao and Puerto Princesa City] noted an increase in Covid-19 cases and lack of hospitals to accommodate patients),” he said.

GCQ will also be imposed in Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao City, and Lanao del Sur for the whole month of May, Roque added.

The rest of the country will stay under the least restrictive modified GCQ for the whole month of May.

On Thursday, the IATF-EID allowed restaurants, eateries and other food preparation establishments to resume their indoor dine-in services in areas under MECQ at an initial 10-percent seating capacity to enable Filipinos cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

The resumption of operations of beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops and nail spas at an initial 30 percent venue in MECQ zones has also been allowed. (PNA)