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Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday said Metro Manila will have only 2 quarantine levels in a policy shift the government wants to implement that will arrest the spread of COVID-19 at the same time spurring business activity.

Roque said in the approved provisional guidelines by the Inter Agency Task Force of COVID -19 there will be only 2 quarantine classifications ECQ and GCQ with alert levels.

“Sang-ayon po dito sa policy shift na gagawin natin, 2 na lang po ang ating quarantine classification. Ito po ang ECQ na ipapataw po ng IATF o kaya di naman kaya ang GCQ,” he said in a press briefing.

The implementation of the pilot quarantine strategy will start September 16-30.

ECQ will be declared only as a “last resort,” according to Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III.

Meanwhile, GCQ restrictions in the new scheme will depend on the alert level over a city or municipality, Roque said.

He said the highest alert level is 4, under which mass gatherings, indoor dining, and personal care services will be banned, he said.

“Pero pinaplantsa pa po talaga ‘yong detalye kung anong puwede sa alert level 4,” Roque said.

“Three C” activities or those that are crowded, involves close contact, and held in closed or indoor areas will be allowed at 30 percent of venue capacity under under alert level 3, 50 percent at level 2, and fully at level 1, Densing said.

Roque added granular lockdowns would be stricter than previous versions. Only health and allied medical professionals, and outbound or returning OFWs will be allowed to leave their homes, and those with emergencies, he said.

“Pati po mga taong gobyerno o ‘yong mga nagtatrabaho ‘pag kayo po ay nasa ilalim ng localized lockdown, hindi kayo pupuwede lumabas,” Roque said.

The social welfare department and local governments will distribute food aid in areas under granular lockdowns, he said.

Granular lockdowns will run for 14 days, during which local authorities would go house-to-house to look for COVID-19 patients, Densing said.

A granular lockdown may be limited to several houses, a building, street or a barangay, he said.

Authorities are still studying a proposal for a vaccine bubble in Metro Manila, and limited al fresco dining under alert level 4, said Densing.

He said Metro Manila mayors also want to look into the criteria for declaring alert levels, which include health care utilization. Many hospitals in the capital region are treating patients from other areas, he said.

Government had earlier taken back its declaration of Metro Manila’s return to GCQ on Sept. 8, instead extending enforcement of the stricter modified ECQ until Sept. 15.

The health department on Thursday reported 22,820 coronavirus cases, a new daily record. It said total confirmed cases rose to 2.16 million, while deaths reached 34,733.