Beginning tomorrow, August 21, Metro Manila and Laguna residents are once again permitted to go cycling and do other forms of individual outdoor exercise as the said areas shift to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos said in a statement that outdoor exercises in Metro Manila will be only be allowed from 6am to 9am. According to the omnibus guidelines for the implementation of community quarantine, permitted forms of outdoor exercise are walking, jogging, running, and cycling. These may be conducted “within the general area of [an individual’s] residence,” or within one’s barangay, purok, subdivision, or village. Physical distancing and wearing of face masks are required.
The omnibus guidelines also state that outdoor sports venues for contact sports, scrimmages, games, or activities must remain closed during MECQ. The same goes for gyms, indoor sports facilities, and swimming pools.
Metro Manila and Laguna will be under MECQ from August 21 to 31. Parañaque City mayor and Metro Manila Council chairperson Edwin Olivarez stated that a ‘heightened MECQ’ will be implemented in the capital region, which means all forms of restaurant dine-in and the operations of personal care services will remain banned during this period. He also said that quarantine passes will no longer be required when Metro Manila residents leave their homes to work in permitted industries or procure essential goods and services.
