Today is the first day of Metro Manila back in general community quarantine (GCQ) after being under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) for two weeks. And again, we are here for some reminders, because these back-and-fourths to and from various states of lockdown can get really confusing.

For one, is there still a curfew under GCQ? Yes.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Metro Manila mayors have agreed on a unified curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. “I understand that mayors voted and that there was a majority that curfew hours should be 8 to 5,” he told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

Curfew hours must be retained while there is still no COVID-19 vaccine as it helps prevent crime as well as suppress further contamination of the coronavirus disease, Eleazar said. | @CMarquezINQ https://t.co/weUeu190FS

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) August 18, 2020

Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez and chair of Metro Manila Council (MMC), a body consisting of 17 mayors in NCR, likewise told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo that only workers in authorized industries with company IDs are exempted from the region-wide curfew.

Manila City, which previously announced the curfew in the city will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning today has yet to issue a correction but will likely adopt the MMC decision as it is part of the council.

Metro Manila along with neighboring provinces Rizal, Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan have all been downgraded to GCQ from MECQ. This is despite Metro Manila being the epicenter of COVID-19 cases, which as of writing is at 169,213—more than half of this total is recorded in NCR.

Header photo courtesy of Grig Montegrande/Inquirer

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