MANILA – The National Capital Region (NCR) Plus, composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite, will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until the end of June, President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday.

In his weekly Talk to the People, Duterte said Metro Manila and Bulacan would be placed under GCQ “with some restrictions” while Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite will be under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” from June 16 to June 30, 2021.

Duterte said the following areas are also under GCQ: Baguio City, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Abra, Benguet (Cordillera Administration Region), Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino (Cagayan Valley), Batangas, Quezon (Calabarzon), Iligan City (Northern Mindanao), Davao Del Norte (Davao, General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato (Soccksargen), and Lanao del Sur, Cotabato City (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao).

Meanwhile, Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to place nine cities and 12 provinces under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

These are Santiago City, Cagayan (Region 2), Apayao, Ifugao (CAR), Bataan (Central Luzon), Lucena City (Calabarzon), Puerto Princesa (Mimaropa), Naga City (Bicol), Iloilo City, Iloilo (Western Visayas), Negros Oriental (Central Visayas), Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte (Zamboanga Peninsula), Cagayan de Oro City (Northern Mindanao), Davao City (Davao Region), and Butuan City, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao Del Sur (Caraga).

The rest of the country will be under the modified general community quarantine.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in the same meeting, said under MECQ, outdoor dining is allowed to have 50 percent capacity, but indoor dining can accommodate only up to 10 percent of the capacity.

Roque also said outdoor sports venues are allowed to have 50 percent capacity but contact sports, indoor sports venues, outdoor and indoor tourist attractions, libraries, museums, venues for meetings and conferences are not allowed to operate to prevent further transmission of Covid-19.

“Personal care like beauty salons and barber shops, nail spas are up to 30 percent capacity only,” he added.

Under ordinary GCQ, he said the following are allowed to operate up to 50 percent capacity: indoor tourist attractions, indoor and outdoor sports venues, indoor and outdoor tourist attractions, libraries, museums, venues for meetings and conferences, and personal care services.

He said indoor dining is allowed to operate with 50 percent under ordinary GCQ but only 30 percent in GCQ areas with “heightened restrictions” like Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.

He said religious gatherings under GCQ will remain up to 30 percent, but local government units can increase it up to 50 percent. (PNA)