At some point, the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) still in effect in many areas in the Philippines will be downgraded by the government to the level of a general community quarantine (GCQ). Hopefully, this vital decision to shift to a GCQ will be made circumspectly and with the full backing of medical science and experts.
A declared GCQ will allow various industries to operate, including “financial services, BPOs (business process outsourcing), legal and accounting, and auditing services, professional, scientific, technical, and other non-leisure services, barber shops, salon, and other personal care services as defined by the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), and other non-leisure wholesale and retail establishments, at a maximum of 50 percent work-on-site arrangement, and without prejudice to work-from-home and other alternative work arrangements,” said Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines dated April 29, 2020.