Motorcycle barrier no longer needed for riders living in the same house in areas under GCQ, JTF says

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 18) — Authorities said motorcycle barriers are no longer needed for riders living in the same house in areas under general community quarantine starting Wednesday.

The Joint Task Force COVID Shield said on Tuesday that the national task force for COVID-19 approved this along with other measures for protocols in motorcycle backriding.

For areas under GCQ, riders not living in the same house must have an Angkas designed barrier.

As for the riders, the backrider must be an authorized person outside of residence, while the driver may not be. Both should wear face mask and full-face helmet.

Motorcycle to be used should be privately owned, JTF said.

For those areas under modified general community quarantine, local government units have the option to implement the said guidelines depending on the situation in their areas.

President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday that Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will be back to the more relaxed GCQ starting Wednesday until August 31.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this comes with recalibrated government response against COVID-19.

These five areas were reverted back to modified enhanced community quarantine in the first two weeks of August due to the surge of COVID-19 cases.