The government is taking the short yet sharp “circuit-breaker” approach to stem the rise in coronavirus cases in Metro Manila and other areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced the government decided to tighten six quarantine measures in GCQ areas until April 4 and urged the public to cooperate with authorities.
The measures include temporary closure of cinemas, game arcades, and limited tourist attractions; limiting religious gatherings and essential business gatherings to 30 percent venue capacity; and, lowering dine-in restaurant operations to 50 percent venue capacity.
The decision was approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases during a meeting Thursday March 18.
A circuit breaker generally refers to the implementation of a set of strict restrictions to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission and bring the infection rate down in a limited period of time. The approach is named after a safety device that stops the electric current to prevent any overload or short circuit. (Genalyn Kabiling)
