IATF reverts to stricter COVID

measures in areas under GCQ

CORTES, Bohol, March 20 (PIA) – To address the rising cases of coronavirus disease (COVID) in the Philippines, the Inter Agency Task Force for the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF EID) has resolved to revert to stricter measures in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until April 4, 2021.

Bohol has been declared under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) against COVID, under Executive Order No. 8, series of 2021, a declaration that ended February 28, 2021.

Until then, Capitol has yet to issue a current state of quarantine for the island province that has seen a resurgence of cases of the fatal viral disease.

As of March 17, 2021, the COVID daily count in the Philippines already reached 66, 567, possibly the highest daily count since COVID was reported in the country.

With this, the IATF has ruled that religious gatherings, although allowed to continue, shall observe a thirty percent (30%) attendance based on the venue capacity, provided there is no objection from the local government unit where the religious gathering takes place.

The resolution also provides that LGUs upon whose jurisdiction the religious gathering takes place, have the discretion to allow higher venue capacity but not exceeding 50% of the total capacity, based on their assessment of the COVID conditions in their respective localities.

The IATF has also temporarily suspended the operation of driving schools, traditional cinemas and video and interactive game arcades, libraries, archives, museums and cultural centers, limited tourist attractions except open-air attractions.

Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) events are also limited to essential business gatherings at 30% of the venue capacity, according to the new resolution.

The recent measure also reduced to a maximum of 50% capacity for dine-in restaurants, cafes and personal care services, while cockfighting and cockpit operations are fully suspended even to those areas under Modified General Community Quarantine.

Along with this, the resolution also encourages national government agencies to defer the conduct of non-critical activities that would entail mass gatherings.

In these areas under GCQ, local government units have the authority to impose higher age limits for age-based restrictions for minors, based on the COVID-19 situation in their respective juristdictions. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)