×
Home > Blog > Covid-19

FAQs on Enhanced Community Quarantine


President Rodrigo Duterte placed the whole of Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine last Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Because of this, we gathered some answers to your frequently asked questions:

 

1. Who may go out of their homes?

• Only one person per household is allowed to buy basic necessities.
• Employees of establishments involved in the production, processing and distribution of basic necessities. These include supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, and wet markets; pharmacies and drug stores; banks and remittance centers.
• Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
• Personnel involved in health work, border control, emergency and other mission-critical services
• Media with authorization from the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO)

Source: Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases

2. What other establishments are open?
Only private establishments providing basic necessities and those related to food and medicine production shall be open. Respective managements in all open establishments shall adopt a strict skeletal workforce to support operations and implement strict social distancing measures. These establishments include:

    1. • Public markets

 

    1. • Supermarkets

 

    1. • Groceries

 

    1. • Convenience stores

 

    1. • Hospitals

 

    1. • Medical clinics

 

    1. • Manufacturing and processing plants of basic food products and medicines

 

    1. • Water-refilling stations

 

    1. • Money transfer services

 

    1. • Pharmacies and drug stores

 

    1. • Food preparation and delivery services

 

    1. • Banks

 

    • Water, power, energy, and telecommunications supplies and facilities

Source: Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)

3. Is travel in and out of the Philippines allowed?
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has lifted the ban on international flights flying in and out of the NAIA.

    1. • Filipinos abroad can return to the Philippines anytime, including their foreign spouse and children.

 

    1. • Other permanent residents of the Philippines may also return.

 

    1. • All returning Filipino residents and permanent residents from China, Hong Kong, and Macau shall be subject to 14-day quarantine in a quarantine facility. All other returning Filipinos and permanent residents arriving in Luzon shall comply with mandatory home quarantine.

 

    1. • OFWs, balikbayans, and foreign nationals will be allowed to leave the Philippines at any time, as long as their departure is 24 hours from the time they leave their homes or hotels.

 

    1. • All persons, regardless of nationality, except for Filipino tourists, may now fly out of the country at any time.

 

    1. • Inbound international passengers are allowed entry, subject to strict immigration and quarantine protocols.

 

    1. • For passengers from Italy and Iran, the required medical certificates of good health should be validated by their respective embassies.

 

    1. • Sweeper flights for foreign nationals to bring them to airports will be allowed to continue operations.

 

    1. • Only one (1) person is allowed to bring a passenger to the airport and he/she must depart immediately after dropping off said person. The driver should carry with him/her a copy of the airline ticket of the passenger as proof of conveyance.

 

    • Affected passengers should await for official word or contact their respective air carriers on resumption of their flights.

Source: Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and Department of Transportation (DOTr)

4. Will there be transportation provided for health workers?
In line with the DOTr Free Bus Service for Health Workers, buses will be deployed in the following routes to transport health workers:



Source: Department of Transportation

Free shuttle service for health workers from the Office of the Vice President:





 

5. Until when will the enhanced community quarantine be implemented?
The enhanced community quarantine is set to expire at 12:00 a.m. of 13 April 2020.

Source: Memorandum Circular from the Executive Secretary, dated March 16, 2020