Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) classification for the National Capital Region, comprising Metro Manila and surrounding areas, for a further two weeks until 30 June.
The GCQ classification means casinos at Manila’s integrated resorts will remain closed to the public, although invited guests are allowed, while some hotels have been granted permission by the government to operate at full capacity as of late May. In total there are 13 hotels within the National Capital Region to have had restrictions eased since late May including hotels at all four Manila IRs – City of Dreams Manila, Okada Manila, Resorts World Manila and Solaire Resort & Casino.
According to information published by the state-run Philippine News Agency on Monday, some restrictions across Manila appear to have been eased despite the city remaining under GCQ with indoor tourist attractions, indoor and outdoor sports venues, indoor and outdoor tourist attractions, indoor dining, libraries, museums, MICE venues and personal care services all allowed to operate at 50% capacity.
GCQ is two levels below the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) measures put in place in late March as COVID-19 infections spiked to more than 15,000 a day, and one level below Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
The Philippines has averaged around 6,600 new cases per day over the past seven days, having peaked at 15,298 cases in a single day on 2 April.
