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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Duterte to push through with local travels despite COVID-19 case spike

Duterte to push through with local travels despite COVID-19 case spike

Published Mar 18, 2021 02:39 pm

President Duterte is not about to scrap his planned public engagements this week despite the latest surge in the cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
(KARL NORMAN ALONZO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO)

The President will push through with his activities, including visits to Eastern Samar and Leyte, as planned, according to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque.

Roque however admitted that the President's domestic travels have been limited to areas classified under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), or those with low-risk COVID-19 transmission, as a precaution against the virus spread.

"Si Presidente naman mayroon siyang lakad today and tomorrow, itutuloy po iyan kasi iyong lakad naman niya ay sa area na mababa po ang COVID ‘no, mga MGCQ areas (The President has travels today and tomorrow. Those will push through because these visits are in areas with low COVID cases, MGCQ areas),” Roque said during a virtual press briefing Thursday, March 18.

As the country’s cases continued to increase, the President is expected to attend two public engagements in the Visayas Thursday.

Duterte is scheduled to attend first the 500th Anniversary of the Philippine Part in the First Circumnavigation of the World at the Veterans Park, Calicoan, Guiuan, Eastern Samar on Thursday afternoon. Afterward, the President will join the meeting of the government task force in charge of ending the local communist armed conflict in Tacloban City.

The President recently gradually resumed his public engagements outside the Palace but subject to stringent health and safety protocols enforced by his security team. The health protocols included polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for people before meeting the President.

Roque earlier explained that the President now traveled with confidence given the rigid health and safety precautions implemented especially in events that he would attend. He said it was now difficult to get near the President given the protocols enforced by the Presidential Security Group to ensure his safety and health.

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