President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 28, approved the recommendation of the government’s coronavirus task force to keep Metro Manila and a few other areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) until October 31.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed this in a statement sent to reporters after Duterte’s televised briefing on Monday night.

Health Secretary Fransisco Duque III first announced the task force’s recommendations during the briefing.

Duque said Metro Manila, Batangas, Tacloban City, and Bacolod City will remain under GCQ until October 31, while Iligan City and Iloilo City and will ease into GCQ from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting October 1.

Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City, will remain under MECQ.

The rest of the country will be under modified general community quarantine, the least restrictive quarantine status.

Roque said the latest community quarantine classifications will take effect on Thursday, October 1, until October 31.

As of Monday, the Philippines has a total of 307,288 coronavirus cases, with 49,242 active cases, 5,381 deaths, and 252,665 recoveries. – Rappler.com