Metro Manila Council open to another ECQ

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 28) — The Metro Manila Council said it is ready to implement again enhanced community quarantine in the region amid threats posed by the Delta coronavirus variant.

MMC chair Edwin Olivarez, however, pointed out that the next quarantine classification for the capital will still depend on the recommendations of health experts, data, and protocols to be implemented by local chief executives in their jurisdictions.

This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte said in his State of the Nation Address the possibility of imposing strict quarantine restrictions to curb the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant.

READ: Duterte says PH may go back to 'early days' due to Delta threat

The council is expected to discuss the matter on Wednesday.

The National Capital Region was last placed under ECQ early this year due to a spike in the number of infections, which was driven by the Alpha and Beta variants.

Speaking as Parañaque City mayor, Olivarez said the currently implemented general community quarantine with heightened restrictions is enough so far.

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora shared the same sentiment, noting that the Delta variant situation is still under control.

Both mayors also said that they still have the option to implement granular lockdowns to address a possible transmission of the virus.

So far, the country has recorded 119 Delta variant cases.

Other countries that are facing a surge in cases driven by the feared variant have implemented lockdowns to control its spread.

In the Philippines, health experts are recommending stricter protocols to prevent the same scenario from happening, but business leaders are against this because of its economic impact.

CNN Philippines correspondent Rex Remitio contributed to this report.