Quarantine levels

/ Travel Announcement / By

Starting October 1 until October 15, 2021, the following areas will be placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ):

  • Apayao
  • Kalinga
  • Batanes
  • Bataan
  • Bulacan
  • Cavite
  • Lucena City
  • Rizal
  • Laguna
  • Naga City, Bicol
  • Iloilo Province

The following places will be placed under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions from October 1 to October 31, 2021:

  • Abra
  • Baguio City
  • Ilocos Sur
  • Pangasinan
  • Cagayan
  • Isabela
  • Santiago City
  • Nueva Vizcaya
  • Quirino
  • Quezon
  • Batangas
  • Bacolod City
  • Capiz
  • Iloilo City
  • Lapu-Lapu City
  • Negros Oriental
  • Bohol
  • Zamboanga del Norte
  • Zamboanga del Sur
  • Cagayan de Oro City
  • Misamis Oriental
  • Davao del Norte
  • Davao Occidental
  • Davao de Oro (until October 15)
  • Butuan City
  • Surigao del Sur

The following areas are under regular GCQ status from October 1 to October 31, 2021:

  • Ilocos Norte
  • Dagupan City
  • Benguet
  • Ifugao
  • Tarlac
  • Mariduque
  • Occidental Mindoro
  • Oriental Mindoro
  • Puerto Princesa
  • Albay
  • Camarines Norte
  • Aklan
  • Antique
  • Guimaras
  • Negros Occidental
  • Cebu City
  • Cebu Province
  • Mandaue City
  • Siquijor
  • Tacloban City
  • Zamboanga Sibugay
  • Zamboanga City
  • Misamis Occidental
  • Iligan City
  • Davao City
  • Davao Oriental
  • Davao del Sur
  • General Santos City
  • Sultan Kudarat
  • Sarangani
  • North Cotabato
  • South Cotabato
  • Agusan del Norte
  • Agusan del Sur
  • Surigao del Norte
  • Dinagat Islands
  • Cotabato City
  • Lanao del Sur

Meanwhile, the rest of the Philippines is under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) from October 1 to October 31, 2021.

Please refer to the corresponding LGU websites or Facebook pages for the complete guidelines and protocols implemented in each location.

Quarantine Protocols for MECQ (Bataan and Laguna) and GCQ with heightened restrictions

MINIMUM PUBLIC HEALTH STANDARDS (MPHS)

Must be complied with at all times.

TRANSPORTATION

Road, rail, maritime, and aviation sectors of public transportation shall be allowed to operate at such capacity and protocols in accordance with guidelines issued by the DOTr.

DINING

  • Indoor dine-in services shall be at 20% venue or seating capacity.
  • Outdoor or al fresco dining shall be at 50% venue or seating capacity.
  • For areas under MECQ, indoor dine-in services and al fresco dining are prohibited, only take-out and delivery are allowed.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

  • Outdoor tourist attractions may operate at 30% with strict adherence to minimum public health standards.
  • For areas under MECQ, outdoor tourist attractions shall not be allowed.
  • Indoor tourist attractions shall not be allowed to operate.

GATHERINGS

Religious gatherings and gatherings for necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 shall be allowed up to 10% of the venue capacity in areas under GCQ with heightened restrictions. For areas under MECQ, immediate family members of the deceased who died of causes other than COVID-19 shall be allowed to move from their residence to attend the wake or interment of the deceased upon satisfactory proof of relationship with the latter.

ALLOWED ACTIVITIES/INDUSTRIES

  • All non-contact sports, games, and scrimmages held outdoors are allowed.
  • The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) shall be allowed to resume the 46th Season of their Philippine Cup Conference in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and/or Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) in compliance with the provisions of the Joint Administrative Order No. 2021-002 of the Philippine Sports Commission, Games and Amusement Board, and Department of Health, and related issuances are complied with, and with the written concurrence of the local government unit concerned. Should the community quarantine classification of their proposed new venue be escalated to a community quarantine classification higher than GCQ, the PBA should look for another venue that is under GCQ or MGCQ.
  • The operation of the Philippine Racing Commission for their Off-Track Betting (OTB) stations in the National Capital Region for the duration of the MECQ shall be allowed, subject to the approval of the local government unit concerned. The operation shall be strictly limited to the purpose of selling tickets only.
  • Indoor sports courts and venues shall not be allowed to operate.
  • Personal care services that allow for services not requiring mask removal may also operate at 30% venue capacity. For areas under MECQ, personal care services shall not be allowed.

Children 5 years old and above in areas under MGCQ and GCQ except those under heightened restrictions may also be able to go to outdoor areas provided that the child is supervised by adult/s and is in observance of minimum public health standards. Local government units concerned may increase the above age restriction of children depending on the COVID-19 situation in their respective jurisdictions. The outdoor areas shall be limited to the following:

  • Parks
  • Playgrounds
  • Beaches
  • Biking and hiking trails
  • Outdoor tourist sites and attractions
  • Outdoor non-contact sport courts and venues
  • Al fresco dining establishments

These outdoor areas shall not include mixed-use indoor/outdoor buildings, facilities, such as malls and similar establishments.

13 ACCOMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS GRANTED TO OPERATE FOR STAYCATIONS

  1. Grand Hyatt Hotel
  2. Okada Manila Hotel
  3. Shangri-la at the Fort
  4. Nobu Hotel
  5. Joy Nostalg Hotel & Suites Manila
  6. EDSA Shangri-la Manila
  7. Solaire Hotel
  8. Hyatt Regency, City of Dreams
  9. Nuwa Hotel, City of Dreams
  10. The Peninsula Manila
  11. Aruga by Rockwell
  12. Sheraton Manila Hotel
  13. Hilton Manila

These staycation hotels are not currently utilized as COVID-19 quarantine facilities.

DOT-ACCREDITED ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS (AEs) IN GCQ AREAS

  • Based on the IATF Resolution No. 117, AEs in areas under GCQ may accept bookings provided that:
    • The establishment operates only up to 30% of the venue capacity
    • The guests will come from the same household
  • Can accept guests of all ages but guests below 18 and above 65 years old shall be required to present a negative result from an RT-PCR test taken not more than 72 hours prior to check-in.

EVENT VENUES

Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) events in the eligible venue establishments in areas under GCQ are allowed to resume up to 40% of venue capacity, while social events in the same establishments are allowed up to 10% of the venue capacity. MICE events in areas under MECQ and GCQ with heightened restrictions shall not be allowed to operate.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Tourism (DOT) shall issue interim guidelines for MICE and social events in eligible venue establishments.

All venues listed below are not allowed to operate:

  • Entertainment Venues
    • Bars
    • Concert Halls
    • Theaters
  • Recreational Venues
    • Arcades
    • Billiard Halls
    • Internet Cafés
  • Amusement Parks
    • Fairs
    • Kiddie Rides
    • Playgrounds
  • Indoor Sports Courts and Venues
  • Indoor Tourist Attractions

BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS

Under the Safety Seal Certification Program, business establishments awarded Safety Seal Certifications are allowed to operate at an additional 10% beyond the prescribed on-site capacity or venue / seating capacity.

The implementation of Prevent – Detect – Isolate – Treat – Reintegrate Strategy should be continuous and strengthened, as follows:

  • Active case finding
  • Intensified contact tracing
  • Immediate quarantine/isolation which should preferably be in a facility
  • Declaration of localized Enhanced Community Quarantine down to the zone or barangay levels
  • Stricter implementation and observance of minimum public health standards
  • Fast-tracked deployment of COVID-19 vaccine

To enable the safe continuity of economic activities, consider developing and converting more outdoor spaces into temporary outdoor weekend markets and dining spaces, and permanently accessible urban green spaces, outdoor recreational spaces, and public sanitation facilities (handwashing, toilet, showers).

PROTOCOLS FOR FULLY VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS

  • The following conditions below allow an individual to be considered as fully vaccinated for COVID-19:
    1. At least 2 weeks after getting the second dose in a 2-dose series, or
    2. At least 2 weeks after getting a single-dose type of vaccine
    3. Vaccines administered to the individual are included in any of the following:
      • Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) List or Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration
      • Emergency Use Listing of the World Health Organization
  • Fully vaccinated senior citizens are only allowed to travel within areas under General Community Quarantine and Modified General Community Quarantine.
  • For fully vaccinated individuals who are identified as close contacts of probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases, they may undergo a shortened 7-day quarantine period provided they remain asymptomatic for the entire 7 days. In the event that RT-PCR Test needs to be performed, it may be done not earlier than the 5th day after the date of the last exposure. No testing and quarantine shall be required for close contacts who may have been traced beyond the 7th day from last exposure and who have remained asymptomatic. Should the RT-PCR Test yield a positive result, or the individual becomes symptomatic, prescribed testing protocols shall be followed.
  • For interzonal travel allowed under the pertinent resolutions of the IATF and provisions of the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines, as amended, local government units may accept a COVID-19 domestic vaccination card duly issued by a legitimate vaccinating establishment/authority whether local or foreign; or certificate of quarantine completion showing the holder’s vaccination status as may be issued by the BOC, whichever is applicable, as an alternative to RT-PCR testing requirement -before travel or upon arrival- which the local government unit may require.

Considering the ongoing improvements on the system for verifying COVID-19 vaccination cards, COVID-19 vaccination cards duly issued by legitimate vaccination establishments / authorities shall be sufficient proof of vaccination. Any individual who shall present forged and/or falsified vaccination cards shall be dealt with in accordance with law.

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