Thread by @cnnphilippines

BREAKING: Cabinet officials hold press briefing on the 'enhanced' community quarantine in Luzon due to COVID-19. bit.ly/33jStT2

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles reads guidelines for ‘enhanced community quarantine’ which are effective at Tuesday midnight.

Nograles: Classes at all levels continue to be suspended until April 14, 2020.

Nograles: Mass gatherings shall be prohibited.

Nograles: Movement shall be limited to accessing basic necessities.

Nograles: Provision for food and essential health services shall be regulated.

Nograles says a work-from-home setup will be implemented in the executive branch of government.

Nograles: Only private establishments providing basic necessities and such activities related to food and medicine production shall be open.

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Nograles: This includes public markets, supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, hospitals, medical clinics, pharmacies, and drugstores, food preparation and delivery services,

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Nograles: ...water refilling stations, manufacturing and processing plants of basic food products and medicines, banks, money transfer services, power, energy, water, and telecommunication supplies and facilities.

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Nograles: Mass public transportation shall be suspended.

Nograles says media personnel allowed to travel within quarantine area, as long as they secure clearance from PCOO in 72 hours.

Nograles: Land, air, and sea travel shall be restricted.

Nograles says international passengers can leave the Philippines in 72 hours.

Nograles: The movement of cargoes within to and from the entire Luzon shall be unhampered.

Nograles: Land, air, and sea travel of uniformed personnel for official business, especially those transporting medical supplies, laboratory specimen related to COVID-19 and other humanitarian assistance shall be allowed.

Nograles: The DSWD is directed to expedite the distribution of food assistance to the most affected in Luzon.

Nograles: Failure to abide by the foregoing guidelines and measures shall be subjected to appropriate action, both criminal and administrative, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Nograles: There will be no mass transportation. This includes MRT, LRT, bus, jeepneys.

Nograles: Those exempted from the quarantine may travel using private vehicles.

Nograles: The idea here is to keep everybody on home quarantine.

Nograles: In case of doubt, stay at home.

Why did PH declare expanded community quarantine in Luzon?

Nograles: All of the indicators show us the need to, including yung declaration ng pandemic ng WHO, including yung mga rising cases natin, including the fact na our own LGUs began declaring community quarantine.

Nograles: We'll take it on a day-to-day basis, to study the numbers, and determine and make adjustments kung ano yung nakikita nating realities on the ground.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra says people who resist quarantine may be arrested for violating Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code.

Guevarra: Violators may be arrested and may be subject to a fine.

Guevarra also says those who use physical force against law enforcers may be charged with assault.

Guevarra: I plead with everyone to give your cooperation. This is temporary. This is for the good of us.

Guevarra adds those who violate quarantine can also be charged for violating RA 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

Nograles: If the circumstances warrant, pwede umiksi yung quarantine period. Pero pwede rin humaba.

Nograles says the implementation of enhanced community quarantine may be cut short or extended, depending on the circumstances.

Nograles: 24 hours curfew na ito kasi ang general rule, stay at home.

Gueverra says curfews by local governments are now superseded.

Gueverra says curfews by local governments are now superseded.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III says they are eyeing Lung Center of the Philippines to be a COVID-19 hospital.

Duque: Tinitignan natin ang Lung Center kung pwede siyang maging COVID-19 hospital, kaso ngayon ang sabi sakin, mahihirapan dahil marami parin silang non-COVID-19 patients.

Duque: Kinakailangang planuhin itong maigi kung saan ilalagay itong non-COVID patients.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año says local governments are tasked to find isolation units for COVID-19 patients.

Año: Sa mga COVID-19 patients na asymptomatic or may mild symptoms, kaya siyang i-accommodate ng local gov't units sa isolation units.

Nograles: Outbound passengers intending to depart from the Philippines shall be allowed to travel for a period of 72 hours.

However, those who want to travel from Luzon to other areas in the country can no longer do so, Nograles says. 'No more. That falls under mass transport.'

Año: Meron pa rin tayong uniformed personnel in key positions, strategic areas.

Nograles: Ang situation natin dito ay as if may calamity. That is how we operationalize now.

Will the borders of Luzon be closed?

Nograles: Yes, tonight. 12 midnight.

How will people exempt from the quarantine get around?

Año: LGUs can provide transportation. We can also require some public utilities to operate a certain number of vehicles commensurate to the number of people who will use.

Nograles says TNVS like Grab will no longer be allowed during quarantine.

Duque says close to 1,000 patients have been tested for COVID-19 in the Philippines.

Nograles: Those who really want to leave (the country) will really leave within 72 hours. We have to put a time limit.

Nograles: Ang iniiwasan po natin ay may mga involuntarily stranded here. So we're giving them 72 hours.

PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar: All media workers must obtain their identification cards from the news and information bureau.

Andanar says PCOO will issue IDs to media through the International Press Center.

Año on slum areas: Talagang yan ay malaking challenge, pero they have to follow social distancing.

Duque says they are getting test kits from three sources, previously they only used test kits donated by the World Health Organization.

Duque: Hindi magtatagal, makakapag-test tayo nang mas marami.

Nograles: Banks, money transfer services will continue.

Duque expects up to 20,000 new COVID-19 test kits coming in this week.

Nograles says LGUs can provide transportation to those who will be going to supermarkets.

Nograles: Mahirap man gawin ang mga guidelines na 'to, kailangan nating gawin.

Nograles says LGUs can provide the transportation for those who will buy food, other necessities outside.

Nograles: Kailangan nating striktuhan, otherwise kung bibigyan natin ng maraming exemptions, babalik rin tayo sa maraming galawan.

Nograles: Based sa LGU, mayroon tayong food assistance packages. Alam na po ng LGUs ang gagawin.

Nograles: Yung mga may kaya would have to provide for their own means. We would have to prioritize those without their own means.

Nograles says they will still talk about assistance for public utility vehicle drivers.

Are these measures a step closer martial law?

Guevarra: I just want to assure everyone that the answer to that question is a resounding no.

Guevarra: Please be assured that we are not headed to martial law.