(SPOT.ph) The Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine has officially been extended until April 30. The decision was approved by President Rodrigo Duterte on April 7 according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, as recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force. Originally, the enhanced quarantine period implemented to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines was scheduled to end on April 12.
This means that approximately 57 million people living in Luzon will be spending around three more weeks under the same measures: limited movement, home quarantine, and social distancing, among others. Authorities are pushing to "flatten the curve" of COVID-19, a.k.a. slowing the possible spread down to within the capacity of our health system.
According to research by the University of the Philippines COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team, a continued quarantine period will keep the rate of infection at a rate that's manageable. Mass testing of persons under monitoring or investigation is being scheduled to begin on April 14.Â
