Metro Manila and four nearby provinces shift to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine or MECQ after the two-week Enhanced Community Quarantine of ECQ to curb the spread of the virus.
Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, and Rizal will be under MECQ starting April 12 to April 30.
City of Santiago, Quirino, and Abra will also be placed under MECQ starting tomorrow until end-April.
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MECQ is the second strictest community quarantine in the country.
Under MECQ, most people are asked to stay at home except for essential workers, medical frontliners, and those working in exempted offices and businesses. Mass gatherings up to five people are permitted.
Essential industries are allowed to work at full capacity, with others operating at a fifty percent (50%) capacity.
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On Saturday, the Philippines reported 12,674 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of active cases in the country to 190,245, the highest recorded this year.
The country has reported a total of 853,209 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday. (TDT)
