GCQ with alert levels postponed due to questions on guidelines, says exec

The shift of Metro Manila to general community quarantine has been postponed as mayors raised concerns on the presented guidelines, the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 spokesperson said on Wednesday.

At the Laging Handa public briefing, NTD spokesperson Restituto Padilla said the guidelines should be expanded to address the concerns of the mayors and other parties.

“Marami ring lumabas na mga katanungan doon na maaaring hindi pa rin naging bahagi ng mga nakalatag o nakahandang guidelines,” Padilla said.

(There are many questions that are coming up that are possibly not included in the presented or prepared guidelines)

With the shift to GCQ of Metro Manila, the government also set a pilot test for a granular lockdown system in the National Capital Region.

Padilla noted that the modified enhanced community quarantine in the region will only last until the middle of the month or earlier if the guidelines are issued and cascaded to concerned agencies.

On Tuesday, Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro called on national government agencies to already issue guidelines regarding its policy shift in restrictions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He lamented that these guidelines were not released yet considering that the start of the pilot test for granular lockdown in Metro Manila was set, originally, this Wednesday.

For Padilla, the delay in the implementation of the policy shift is a lesson learned for the government to prepare all the guidelines before making an announcement. -NB, GMA News