Metro Manila, 9 other areas remain under GCQ in January 

METRO Manila and other areas around the country will continue to operate under general community quarantine (GCQ) status until January 31, 2021.

In a taped public address, President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, December 28, 2020 said the provinces of Batangas, Isabela, Lanao del Sur, Davao del Norte, and cities of Santiago, Iloilo, Tacloban, Iligan, and Davao will also remain under GCQ until the end of January.

The rest of the country will also remain under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the president said.

Duterte said the community quarantine classifications are subject to appeal from their respective local government units (LGUs).

He also reminded the public not to leave their homes unless to do essential activities.
“Stay home if it’s really possible. It’s for your own good,” the president advised.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that the government’s priority is also to prevent the new COVID-19 strain from entering the Philippines.

“Our focus now is to prevent the entry of the new variant in our country,” Año said.

Based on reports, the new variant of COVID-19 from the UK spreads 70% faster.
The Philippines has imposed a temporary travel ban on all flights from the UK until January 14, 2021.

To date, 470,650 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the country, with 9,124 fatalities and 438,780 recoveries.