Modified ECQ, GCQ, and Modified ECQ Explained: What Does This Mean for Travelers?

What do these new quarantine measures mean for travelers?
by Cristina Morales | May 14, 2020

What does the Philippines’ new quarantine measures mean for travelers? What does inter-island travel mean and who can move around? Let’s clear things up here.

Earlier this week, the Philippine government announced that areas that have been identified as high-risk — Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Laguna — will be put under a modified enhanced community quarantine (Modified ECQ). This means though most people will still be expected to stay at home, people from certain industries will be allowed to go back to work.

Eight regions that were classified as moderate risk will be put under a general community quarantine (GCQ), while the rest of the country that have been classified as low risk will be under a modified general community quarantine (Modified GCQ).

Here’s what that means for travelers.

Who is allowed to go out?

• Modified ECQ: Communities under modified ECQ will be required to observe strict stay-at-home measures. However, people will be allowed to leave their homes to get essential goods and to work in industries that have been allowed to resume operations. People will also be allowed to exercise outdoors, so long as they wear masks and stay two meters apart.
• GCQ: People in barangays without COVID-19 cases will be allowed to move around freely for work and essential services.
• Modified GCQ: People will be able to move around freely, but health protocols like mask-wearing and physical distancing will be enforced.

How about flights?

• Modified ECQ: Only Filipinos abroad will be able to fly home. There will be no domestic flights, no inter-island travel (meaning travel between islands), and limited international flights.
• GCQ: Inter-island travel will be allowed between two GCQ areas. (So you can’t travel from a Modified ECQ area to a GCQ area.) Health protocols will be enforced.
• Modified GCQ: All flights will resume, but health protocols will be enforced.

Does this mean we can travel again?

Not for leisure, no. Businesses in the tourism industry are still not allowed to operate.

What do you think about the new quarantine measures? Sound off in the comments below!

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