MANILA, Philippines — Though a close fight, the Metro Manila Council voted in favor of easing quarantine status anew to modified general community quarantine in March after months of GCQ, a Metro Manila mayor disclosed Thursday. Speaking in an interview aired over DZBB Super Radyo, Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said that nine of the metro's mayors voted to ease quarantine status in the region to modified general community quarantine this March, while eight mayors wanted to retain GCQ status. Although they are not binding in any way, the recommendations of the MMC have historically been mirrored by the coronavirus task force and later approved by President Rodrigo Duterte. It has been 338 days since the initial enhanced community quarantine was hoisted over some parts of Luzon. The Philippines is still under the world's longest quarantine, despite government claims of a "successful" coronavirus response.

Source: Philippine Star February 18, 2021 04:41 UTC