Raffin

Now Manila's a General Quarantine area things look much livelier around Paranaque. The Malls are attracting a lot of people, but on the late pm weekday we went the main interest was still in the Hypermarket, with many patiently lining up to go in. The Department store, though usually not busy, had hardly any customers inside. Other stores were doing better, but were not crowded. Maybe the need to follow the one way system marked on the floor had something to do with it ?

But I read a report that two very localized short term lockdowns are planned from tomorrow on two streets in a nearby barangay to us. Many COVID cases there apparently.

Another interest of ours is in driving into the adjacent province of Cavite, and I am always monitoring the news feeds on that. But the place where we need to go is under what the local Mayor there has previously named as an SSECQ. No, he's not using the violent methods of Hitler's paramilitary organisation! Though SS stands for "Super Strict". Many restrictions, forms to fill up, passes to get. Worse than in Paranaque. So we will just wait.

However I did see a long report on Sunday, which looked authoritative, detailing what you could and couldn't do under the new General Quarantine here. One section was about travel in the case of an energency. That is fine if you want to do so within MM or within any adjacent Calabarzon province. But if your proposed travel involves crossing into one of those provinces from MM then you will have a problem:

Step 1: Visit your .barangay captain who must confirm you haven't had any COVID symptoms for the past 14 days!
Step 2: Visit the medical officer at your City Hall, who will make further unspecified tests and who can then issue you a Certificate of Medical Clearance.
Step 3; With your CMC then either..visit a police station for a travel pass, where they will make arrangements with the relevant provincial LGU...or..go back to your barangay captain, who can also do that for you!

As for us the only even slightly urgent matters at our empty property are to water some plants and feed a stray cat we're just going to sit this all out!

To me this is another indication, on top of the steady rise in cases daily, that the authorities are not at all confident about the size of the outbreak and its ability to spread here in Manila.

Bealinehx

Marikina is also beginning to wake up. A lot more traffic and even more bicycles as there is no public transport for people to get to their places of work. I haven't bothered to visit the local malls as I have two supermarket within 5 minutes walking distance and the same for two hospitals. I am missing my Friday evenings listening to live music, gossiping and generally consuming far too much SMB.
I also wonder about the true state of affairs concerning the spread of the virus. I didn't find the explanations concerning the large increases in cases last week at all plausible.
It seems that around the world a 10 week quarantine period is about the limit for the general populace to accept. So I suspect the dreaded second wave could become a reality.

Stokkevn

Out in the sticks things have been more relaxed for a while, the 21:00hrs curfew siren goes off ( well some nights as early as 19:30 or as late as never ), jeepnys are now done out with seats surrounded by bamboo and clear plastic sheeting which now limits the seating to that on their registration ( either 14 or 20 ) instead of the normal 35-40. As per EO from the Governor all travel checkpoints have been dismantled, except for any LGU that considers them necessary. Local mall ( 25km away ) tried to stop me going in as I am 64, I explained that the EO stated Senior Citizens are deemed to be over 65 years old, luckily I did take a copy of the EO with me, long faces all round when they saw they were wrong and I suggested to their manager that he and his staff should go on a training course.

Large increase in cases is most likely due to larger volume of people actually being tested now, a 2/3 weeks ago a local girl had the symptoms and was rushed off to hospital, 6 days later she got tested, luckily she was negative.

Raffin

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/spec...the-data-says/

A long but interesting read. Unusual for GMA News to put up something as technical as this.
Seems to me this country is now at something of a crossroads, like many others, after restrictions are being relaxed... albeit with the numbers of cases and deaths not too bad.
Still, as a developing country we would obviously want to avoid a long medium sized outbreak here, with possible future spikes and localised outbreaks. Also because of the poor health services here, the effects on non COVID illnesses and mental health, education and the economy/public finances. Plus we're entering the typhoon season.

Stokkevn

You are cheerful aren't you. Last Xmas day we got a direct hit from a typhoon and no power for nearly a week, a few days later an earthquake followed by a volcano going off from early Jan to mid Feb then a few days later some nasty virus turns up and we all got house arrest. Think I shall look into moving to Syria for a quieter life.

Raffin

With the Manila situation especially opening up could well produce a spike in 2 or 3 weeks time.But if the authorities help commuters and the poor to earn a living safely and not just tell them off for unavoidable social distancing then I think it won't be too big. and we can have a little optimism. As what I see around here is that people are very conscious of social distancing,.. in public at least.

Stokkevn

They do it in private as well, wife has moved into the spare room.

Bealinehx

Not sure if social distancing is going to be effective. Just seen a truck packed to the gunwales with construction workers non of whom where wearing face masks.
C'est la vie, C'est la guerre

Raffin

Oh...perhaps she sees you too symptomatic with complaints about that series of Acts of God this country is suffering from?

Rather than Syria I recommend relocation to North Korea. No Civil War and no reported cases of COVID-19!

Raffin

Seems that the writ of Manila doesn't apply in your part of the sticks. I think you are, like Manila, under GCQ. Under which Seniors must stay at home except for essential activities, like going to work, shopping etc. I think that would effectively include any shopping..not just grocery. Plenty of seniors can now be seen in the various shops in our local Mall. Exercising also to be seen around here. Rappler is reporting this afternoon that the same goes for those areas under the modified GCQ, in case you are under that.

Gazza-d

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stokkevn
Out in the sticks..... Local mall ( 25km away ) tried to stop me going in as I am 64, I explained that the EO stated Senior Citizens are deemed to be over 65 years old, luckily I did take a copy of the EO with me, long faces all round when they saw they were wrong and I suggested to their manager that he and his staff should go on a training....

Seems that the writ of Manila doesn't apply in your part of the sticks. I think you are, like Manila, under GCQ. Under which Seniors must stay at home except for essential activities, like going to work, shopping etc. I think that would effectively include any shopping..not just grocery. Plenty of seniors can now be seen in the various shops in our local Mall. Exercising also to be seen around here. Rappler is reporting this afternoon that the same goes for those areas under the modified GCQ, in case you are under that.

EO ?. In the Philippines you become a senior at 60. Tuesday my wife was initially refused entry to a local mall, the conversation went " what year were you born" 1960, " you are sixty so you can't come in " I'm 59 until October so yes I can. Anyway the rules have changed again, now still not allowed out under MGCQ.

Raffin

Well, the rule for both GCQ and MGCQ is that Seniors must stay at home except for essential activities..and that must include at least shopping and medical needs. This Rappler article explains it clearly. Interesting that for a few days Seniors under the MGCQ were even back to pre Quarantine normal, until it was amended.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/26287...r-modified-gcq

Never any problem for me being out since March with Supermarket, Mall entrances and one road check here in Paranaque.

As you're having a problem it's worth having the Rappler article available to show to people at mall entrances.

Stokkevn

It is the lack of proper guidelines, the president will give out one set of guidelines with the caveat that LGUs will give out their own version of his EO, so basically saying everything in his EO will be over ridden by local guidelines. Then I have asked the local LGU for their guidelines and they just refer to the presidents EO except there may be some differences which when you ask the PNP and the local health dept they are on different planets.The next village requires travel permits that our village say are not required and don't issue. Problem now solved as there is a track that circumnavigates the next village checkpoint. Status quo restored in Ph.

Raffin

In Manila it seems that the rules in the various cities are pretty much the same. Also in Cebu, as the silly banning of couples on motorbikes was the subject of a formal application for change, which was turned down by the President. Mostly on the basis that he wants uniform rules across the country!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/128678...le-back-riding

Yet from posters here it looks like when you get away from the capital and the bigger cities they're applying many of their own rules under either General or Modified CQ.

I'm sure the President, being very much a Senior, but an active one, would not be happy that people over 60 are being turned away at Malls in some places. In fact I recall that in the early days of the emergency Quarantine here in Manila he told groceries to allow Seniors to by pass the long lines at groceries. The grocery I frequent the most here allowed just that.

Pity they don't have a hotline for Quarantine complaints.

Bealinehx

Access for Seniors at supermarkets in Marikina went off to a confusing start. At the beginning of the lockdown after waiting patiently in line for 20 minutes a security guard came out and shouted that seniors were not permitted to enter. I'm nearly 73 and I got away with saying I was born in 1961. Two days later it was announced that Seniors, PWD's and frontliners had priority access. Since then I go and sit at the priority entrance and gain entry within a minute.