Who can travel in enhanced, general quarantine areas?

Travel will be easier in areas that will shift to the "new normal" on Friday as the government loosened community quarantine guidelines in parts of the country.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Thursday only travel in enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) areas will remain restricted as he highlighted that those in general community quarantine (GCQ) areas cannot just go to places still in lockdown.

"Kapag galing ng GCQ papunta ng ECQ bibisitahin mo lang kamag-anak mo, hindi ka makakapasok dun pero between GCQ eh mas maluwag," he said.

(If you're from a GCQ area then you will just visit a relative in an ECQ area, you cannot but GCQ areas are much looser.)

READ: Which businesses can operate in different quarantine areas?

"Kapag pupunta ka sa ECQ area mas mahigpit," he added.

(Travel to ECQ areas is much difficult.)

Workers who need to cross from area to area under the "new normal" just have to present a proof of employment or company ID to travel, Año said.

"Dito naman sa GCQ, hindi na masyadong problema katulad ng ECQ basta lang dala-dala nila ang kanilang company ID, certification of employment eh okay na yan," Año said.

(In GCQ areas, as long as you bring your company ID or certificate of employment, that would do.)

READ: Workers allowed to cross to and from general, modified quarantine areas: Palace

Below are the travel guidelines approved by the government's pandemic task force for areas under ECQ, and GCQ:

1. Travel to and from areas under enhanced community quarantine is prohibited except for:

- health workers

- government officials and frontline personnel

- those traveling for medical or humanitarian reasons

- persons transiting to the airport for travel abroad

- workers in permitted establishments

- persons providing essential goods, services, and public utilities

- essential skeletal workforce

- repatriated OFWs and non-OFWs returning to their residences

- other persons transported through the efforts of the national government upon conduct of necessary quarantine protocols and in concurrence with the receiving LGUs

2. Workers in the logistics sector, such as cargo, trucking, and port operations shall likewise be allowed to transit across areas placed under ECQ or GCQ provided that only a maximum of 5 personnel may operate cargo and delivery vehicles by land, with or without load.

3. Land, air or sea travel by uniformed personnel and government officials and employees for official business, with the corresponding travel authority, shall be allowed

4. OFWs, permanent residents of foreign jurisdictions, and stranded foreigners may leave for abroad through any of the airports or seaports. Departing passengers may be accompanied by only 1 person traveling to any international port, who shall be allowed to return to his/her point of origin.

5. Repatriated OFWs or returning Filipinos who have been issued with a certificate of completion of the 14-day facility-based quarantine or those who may be required to undergo quarantine shall be granted unhampered transit across zones en route to their final destination in the Philippines.

Several parts of the Philippines will shift to a new normal on Friday except for Metro Manila and other areas at high risk of a coronavirus outbreak.

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