Duterte reverts NCR, nearby provinces to MECQ

President Duterte has reverted Metro Manila and nearby provinces including Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from August 4 to 18.

This decision was made in response to medical front-liners' plea for stricter measures to prevent the collapse of the country's healthcare system.

The President approved his Cabinet’s recommendation despite an earlier plan to keep these areas under general community quarantine.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III recommended several measures including higher allowances and benefits for medical workers, sickness benefits for healthcare workers with COVID-19, and more localized lockdowns.