Metro Manila mayors want GCQ extension in October

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora favors extending the general community quarantine (GCQ) status in Metro Manila, recommending it be maintained for the entire month of October.

The Metro Manila Council, composed of 17 mayors, met with the Inter-Agency Task Force to present their recommendation for the GCQ extension.

Zamora noted that San Juan has seen a steady decrease in active COVID-19 cases under the current GCQ status, with 297 active cases as of September 24.

He believes that current interventions and increased public discipline are effectively curbing the virus's spread and prefers to see cases decrease further before shifting to a modified GCQ (MGCQ).

The National Task Force and the OCTA Research group also recommend against placing NCR under the more relaxed MGCQ.

There were suggestions during the meeting to further open up the economy in NCR to mitigate the economic impact.

The final decision on the quarantine status rests with President Duterte, who is expected to announce it this week.