On Sunday evening, August 2, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte officially placed the National Capital Region (NCR) and the provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) which begins on midnight of August 4, 2020.
The President likewise approved the hiring of additional healthcare workers to augment the current workforce, including the hiring of 10,000 medical professionals and the calling to active duty and enlistment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Healthcare workers would also be provided additional benefits, such as risk allowance for private sector healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients, the amount of 10 to 15,000 pesos for every healthcare worker that gets sick, life insurance, free accommodation, free transportation, free and frequent testing.
Also approved was the Cabinet’s recommendation to issue work and quarantine passes to minimize movement.
The local government units (LGUs) and the COVID-19 CODE Teams are directed to intensify the localized lockdown strategy and the implementation of Oplan Kalinga.
The guidelines for minimum health standards will also be strictly enforced and intensified while giving twenty million face masks for the poor.
The use of RT-PCR testing as the gold standard has likewise been approved by President Duterte.
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