COVID-19 and

COMMUNITY QUARANTINE
in the Philippines
LEGAL BASES

1. Article II, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution:

“The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill
health consciousness among them.”

2. RA 11332 :
An Act Providing Policies and Prescribing Procedures on Surveillance and
Response to Notifiable Diseases, Epidemics, and health Events of Public Health
Concern, and Appropriating Funds Therefore, Repealing for the Purpose Act No.
3573, otherwise known as the “Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases”
Executive Order No. (E.O.) 168, (s. 2014)
• Created the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of
Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to facilitate inter-sectoral
collaboration to establish preparedness and ensure efficient
government response to assess, monitor, contain, control, and
prevent the spread of any potential epidemic in the Philippines
Mandate of the IATF
Section 2 (c) of E.O 168

• To prevent and/or minimize the local spread of emerging

infectious diseases in the country through the establishment or
reinforcement of a system in screening possible patients infected
with emerging infectious diseases, contact tracing, identification
of the mode of exposure to the virus, and implementation of
effective quarantine and proper isolation procedures
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

28 January 2020
• The IATF convened, and thereafter issued regular recommendations for the management of the
2019 Novel CoronaVirus Acute Respiratory Disease, which is now known as CoronaVirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19)

18 March 2020
• Memorandum from the Office of the Executive Secretary directed all heads of departments,
agencies, and instrumentalities of government, including the Philippine National Police (PNP),
Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), government-owned
and controlled corporations (GOCCs), Government Financial Institutions (GFIs), State Universities
and Colleges (SUCs), and Local Government Units (LGUs) to adopt, coordinate, and implement
guidelines which the IATF may issue on the COVID-19 situation, consistent with the respective
agency mandates and relevant laws, rules, and regulations;
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

30 April 2020

• E.O. No. 112, (s. 2020) was issued which confirmed and adopted the
Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in
the Philippines, as approved and recommended under IATF Resolution No.
30, and authorized any amendment or modification thereto subject to the
approval of the IATF.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Accommodation Establishments
• Establishments operating primarily for accommodation purposes including, but not limited to,
hotels, resorts, apartment hotels, tourist inns, motels, pension houses, private homes used for
homestay, ecolodges, serviced apartments, condotels, and bed and breakfast facilities.

2. Comorbidity
• The presence of a pre-existing chronic disease condition.

3. Community Quarantine
• The restriction of movement within, into, or out of the area of quarantine of individuals, large
groups of people, or communities, designed to reduce the likelihood of transmission of an
infectious disease among persons in and to persons outside the affected area.
4. COVID-19
• The Coronavirus Disease 2019 which is caused by the virus known as the severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
 
5. Enhanced Community Quarantine
• The implementation of temporary measures imposing stringent limitations on movement and
transportation of people, strict regulation of operating industries, provision of food and essential
services, and heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce community quarantine
protocols.
 
6. Essential goods and services
• Covers health and social services to secure the safety and well-being of persons, such as but not
limited to, food, water, medicine, medical devices, public utilities, energy, and others as may be
determined by the IATF.
7. General Community Quarantine –
• The implementation of temporary measures limiting movement and transportation, regulation of
operating industries, and presence of uniformed personnel to enforce community quarantine
protocols.
 
8. Health and emergency frontline services –
• Services provided by public health workers [all employees of the DOH, DOH Hospitals,
Hospitals of LGUs, and Provincial, City, and Rural Health Units, and Drug Abuse Treatment and
Rehabilitation Centers including those managed by other government agencies (e.g. police and
military hospitals/clinics, university medical facilities), uniformed medical personnel], private
health workers, such as but not limited to medical professionals, hospital and health facility
administrative and maintenance staff, and aides from private health facilities, as well as their
service providers, health workers and volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross and the World
Health Organization, and employees of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), the
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC), health insurance providers, disaster risk
reduction management officers, and public safety officers.
9. Interzonal movement –
• The movement of people, goods and services between provinces, highly urbanized cities, and
independent component cities under different community quarantine classification. For this
purpose, the National Capital Region shall be considered as one area. Provided that movements
to and from areas under granular lockdowns shall be considered as interzonal movement even if
within the same province or highly urbanized city.
 
10. Intrazonal movement
• The movement of people, goods and services between provinces, highly urbanized cities, and
independent component cities under the same community quarantine classification, without
transiting through an area under a different classification. For this purpose, the National Capital
Region shall be considered as one area.
11. Minimum public health standards
• Refers to guidelines set by the DOH under Administrative Order No. 2020-0015 and such other
issuances subsequent thereto, as well as sector-relevant guidelines issued by national government
agencies as authorized by the IATF, to aid all sectors in all settings to implement non-
pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), or public health measures that do not involve vaccines,
medications or other pharmaceutical interventions, which individuals and communities must carry
out in order to reduce transmission rates, contact rates, and the duration of infectiousness of
individuals in the population.
 
12. Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine –
• Refers to the transition phase between ECQ and GCQ, when the following temporary measures
are relaxed and become less necessary: stringent limits on movement and transportation of
people, strict regulation of operating industries, provision of food and essential services, and
heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce community quarantine protocols.
13. Modified General Community Quarantine
• The transition phase between GCQ and the New Normal, when the following temporary measures
are relaxed and become less necessary: limiting movement and transportation, the regulation of
operating industries, and the presence of uniformed personnel to enforce community quarantine
protocols.
 
14. New Normal
• The emerging behaviors, situations, and minimum public health standards that will be
institutionalized in common or routine practices and remain even after the pandemic while the
disease is not totally eradicated through means such as widespread immunization. These include
actions that will become second nature to the general public as well as policies such as bans on
large gatherings that will continue to remain in force.
 
15. On-site capacity –
• Refers to the number of employees or workers who can be permitted or required to be physically
present at their designated workplace outside of their residences.
 
16. Skeleton workforce
• Refers to the on-site capacity which utilizes the smallest number of people needed for a business
or organization to maintain its basic functions.
ENHANCED COMMUNITY MODIFIED ENHANCED GENERAL COMMUNITY MODIFIED GENERAL
QUARANTINE COMMUNITY QUARANTINE COMMUNITY
QUARANTINE QUARANTINE
Limited movement to services
Limited movement within the
No movement regardless of age and work within Buffer Zone
containment zone for obtaining
and health status (BZ) and Outside Buffer Zone
essential services and work
(OBZ)
Minimal economic activity Operations of selected Permissive socio-economic
Operation of government
except for utility services manufacturing and processing activities with minimal public
offices and industries up to
(food, power and water, and the plants up to maximum of 50% health standards
maximum of 75% workforce
critical economic sectors) workforce
Limited transportation services
No transportation activity Limited transportation services
to support government and
except for utility services for essential goods and services
private operations
Flexible learning arrangements;
Suspension of physical classes Suspension of physical classes operation at limited capacities
to cater to students
AREA CLASSIFICATION

ECQ MECQ GCQ MGCQ

Critical Zone Containment Buffer Zone Outside Buffer

(CRZ Zone (CZ) (BZ) Zone (OBZ)
GUIDELINES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ALERT LEVELS
SYSTEM FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE IN PILOT AREAS
October 2021

The IATF issues these Guidelines to enjoin and proactively advocate the
principles of 3C’s (Closed, Crowded, and Close Contact) strategy against
COVID-19 to curb the further spread of infection
COVID-19 Alert Levels System
• Refers to the new Community Quarantine Classifications for dealing with
COVID-19 covering entire cities, municipalities and/or regions; aimed to
manage and minimize the risk of the disease through System Indicators, Triggers
and Thresholds determined by the IATF to specify the public health and social
measures to be taken in relation to the COVID-19 response, as may be updated
based on new scientific knowledge, information about the effectiveness of
control measures in the country and overseas, and its application.
Alert Level 1 - refers to areas wherein case transmission is low and decreasing, total bed utilization rate,
and intensive care unit utilization rate is low.
 
Alert Level 2 - refers to areas wherein case transmission is low and decreasing, healthcare utilization is
low, or case counts are low but increasing, or case counts are low and decreasing but total bed utilization
rate and intensive care unit utilization rate is increasing.
 
Alert Level 3 - refers to areas wherein case counts are high and/or increasing, with total bed utilization
rate and intensive care unit utilization rate at increasing utilization.
 
Alert Level 4 - refers to areas wherein case counts are high and/or increasing, with total bed utilization
rate and intensive care unit utilization rate at high utilization.
 
Alert Level 5 - refers to areas wherein case counts are alarming, with total bed utilization rate and
intensive care unit utilization rate at critical utilization.
Granular Lockdown
• refers to a micro-level quarantine for areas identified as
"critical zones" by the local government unit (LGU) which
may be declared regardless of Alert Level.
AUTHORITY TO DECLARE GRANULAR
LOCKDOWN

• The authority to impose granular lockdown shall be given to the city and
municipal mayors with respect to their component barangays subject to the
concurrence of the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force (RIATF), and individual
houses where one household member has been confirmed, residential buildings,
streets, blocks, puroks, subdivisions, and/or villages within their jurisdiction.
• Granular lockdowns shall be for a period of not less than fourteen (14) days.

• Declaration of granular lockdowns by local chief executives shall be

provisionally effective immediately and shall include due notice to the RIATF.
The RIATF shall immediately act on the said declaration.

• The IATF retains its mandate to impose and/or lift lockdowns on highly
urbanized cities and independent component cities in accordance with Executive
Order No. 112 (s.2020).
PEACE AND ORDER:
• The Philippine National Police (PNP) shall ensure peace and order at all times.
They shall make sure that security protocols are maintained in lockdown areas.

ASSISTANCE TO AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS.

• Households within areas under granular lockdown shall be provided assistance
by their respective LGUs and the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), in accordance with their relevant guidelines.
The following shall be allowed to enter and/or exit granular lockdown areas for specific purposes:

1. Overseas Filipino Workers bound for international travel, and those returning to
their respective residences after having completed facility-based quarantine
upon arrival;

2. Individuals whose home or residence are located within an area under granular
lockdown may enter the said area for the sole purpose of returning to their respective
homes or residences but must thereafter remain therein for the duration of the
granular lockdown;

3. Individuals under exceptional circumstances such as, but not limited to, those seeking
urgent medical attention as validated by the municipal/city health officer; a

4. Food and essential items provided that they can only be picked up and/or unloaded at
border collection points designated by the LGU.
Minimum public health standards (MPHS)
• Refers to the national, local, and sector-specific guidelines on mitigation measures for its
COVID-19 response across all settings by implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions
(NPIs), consistent with the Department of Health (DOH) Administrative Order No. 2021-0043
or the Omnibus Guidelines on the Minimum Public Health Standards for the Safe Reopening of
Institutions.

• This term shall also encompass specific NPIs of community mitigation strategies or public
health measures that do not involve vaccines, medications, or other pharmaceutical
interventions, that individuals and communities can carry out in order to reduce transmission
rates, contact rates, and the duration of infectiousness of individuals in the population.
 ALERT LEVEL SYSTEM
ALERT AGE INTERZONAL EXERCISE PROHIBITED DINING IN BARBERSHOPS RELIGIOUS GOVT. OFFICES WHAT ELSE IS
LEVEL RESTRICTIONS TRAVEL ESTABLISHMENTS RESTRICTIONS BEAUTY SALON GATHERINGS ALLOWED
NAIL & HAIR SPA

Persons younger Allowed for Not All are Take out and Not allowed Virtual only Fully None
5 than 18, older
than 65, with
authorized
persons
allowed prohibited
except
delivery only operational
but with
comorbidities, outside of essential skeletal
pregnant must residence industries like workforce on
stay home (APORs) hospitals, site
groceries,
export-
oriented
businesses,
vets,
pharmacies,
public
transport and
the like
ALERT AGE INTERZONAL EXERCISE PROHIBITED DINING IN BARBERSHOPS RELIGIOUS GOVT. WHAT ELSE IS
LEVEL RESTRICTIONS TRAVEL ESTABLISHMENTS RESTRICTIONS BEAUTY SALON GATHERINGS OFFICES ALLOWED
NAIL & HAIR
SPA

Persons Allowed for Allowed for Indoor tourist Al fresco Services Gatherings Fully All other
younger than persons not all ages but attractions, dining at done outdoors at operational establish-
18, older under stay- only near meeting venues 30%, indoor outdoors at 30% with at ments not
indoors, face-to-
4 than 65, with
comorbidities,
pregnant
at-home
orders
residence face exams,
contact sports,
swimming pools,
dining at
20% and
only for fully
30%, indoor
services at
20% only
capacity,
indoor
seating at
least 20%
on-site
capacity
listed as
prohibited
allowed at
must stay outdoor and indoor vaccinated, for fully 20% only for 100%
home amusement parks, all vaccinated fully capacity with
internet cafes, employees vaccinated, implement-
arcades, cinemas, must be fully All religious ation of
cockfighting,
vaccinated employees ministers health
concerts, wedding
reception, must be must be fully protocols
motorcades, derma vaccinated vaccinated
clinic, make-up Fitness
salons, massage , studios,
tattooing, gyms for
staycationing indiv
exercise at
20%
capacity for
fully vacc
ALERT AGE INTERZONAL EXERCISE PROHIBITED DINING IN BARBERSHOPS RELIGIOUS GOVT. OFFICES WHAT ELSE IS
LEVEL RESTRICTIONS TRAVEL ESTABLISHMENTS RESTRICTIONS BEAUTY SALON GATHERINGS ALLOWED
NAIL & HAIR
SPA

All ages Allowed Allowed for 30% of venue 30% of Same as Fully Allowed at
3
Cinemas, karaoke
allowed to subject to all ages bars, theaters, with venue with above but operational least 30% of
move around, LGU rules clubs, indoor and additional additional places with with at least venues and
outdoor theme
Subject to parks, playgrounds,
10% if place 10% if place Safety Seal 30% on-site 10% with
LGU rules kiddie rides has Safety has Safety Can open capacity Safety Seal.
Seal Seal additional Gyms, tourist
10% attraction,
capacity libraries,
museums,
cockfights,
concerts,
parties,
wedding
receptions,
family
reunions,
motorcades.
All else not
mentioned,
allowed
100%
ALERT AGE INTERZONAL EXERCISE PROHIBITED DINING IN BARBERSHOPS RELIGIOUS GOVT. OFFICES WHAT ELSE IS
LEVEL RESTRICTIONS TRAVEL ESTABLISHMENTS RESTRICTIONS BEAUTY SALON GATHERINGS ALLOWED
NAIL & HAIR
SPA

All ages Allowed Allowed for 50% of venue 50% of 50% of Fully Allowed at
2
None
allowed to subject to all ages with venue with venue with operational 50% plus
move around, LGU rules additional additional additional with at least 50% with
Subject to 10% if place 10% if place 10% if place 50% on-site Safety Seal.
LGU rules has Safety has Safety has Safety capacity All mentioned
Seal Seal Seal above plus
cinemas,
theaters,
concert halls,
theme parks,
karaoke bars,
playgrounds

All else not

mentioned
allowed
100%
ALERT AGE INTERZONAL EXERCISE PROHIBITED DINING IN BARBERSHOPS RELIGIOUS GOVT. OFFICES WHAT ELSE IS
LEVEL RESTRICTIONS TRAVEL ESTABLISHMENTS RESTRICTIONS BEAUTY SALON GATHERINGS ALLOWED
NAIL & HAIR
SPA

All ages Allowed Allowed for None

1
allowed to subject to all ages
move around, LGU rules
Subject to FULLY OPERATIONAL
LGU rules