ECQ "Season 2" Is Really Happening and the PH Twitterverse Can't Handle It

Millions in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces on Saturday hunkered down for a fresh lockdown or ECQ from Monday to Sunday, March 29 to April 4, as authorities moved to cap a worrying surge in COVID-19 cases.

The Enhanced Community Quarantine covers the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal. The government placed the said areas under a GCQ Bubble on March 22. In four of the last seven days, however, the Philippines reported all-time high numbers of new cases.

"Ito po ay epektibo sa Lunes, March 29, at tatagal hanggang a-kwatro ng Abril," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.

A police officer reminds market-goers to observe health protocols on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, at Blumentritt Market, Manila.

PHOTO BY Jerome Ascano

On Friday, nearly 10,000 new infections were confirmed and active cases breached the 100,000-mark. It was also around the same time in 2020 that Metro Manila and several urban areas were placed under ECQ.

Under the new guidelines, only businesses offering essential services or selling basic goods will be allowed to operate. Work-from-home setups are encouraged and only authorized persons outside of residence can go out.

Leisure establishments should be closed and travel should be limited to the type that is essential only. Roque appealed to authorities not to bar the travel of cargo so as to ensure ample supply of food in the greater Manila area. Contact tracing will also be enhanced, Roque said, noting the need to trace and isolate 95% of close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The Twitterverse Reacts to ECQ Part II

This second round of the strictest quarantine in Metro Manila has everyone on edge, to say the least. Reports of panic buying are back, like they were last year, and Twitter is once again a nervous wreck. Top trends as of writing are focusing on the current administration's response to the pandemic with a general disbelief that not only has the quarantine been extended again, we need to go back the strictest level. Check out the strongest reactions—from anger, sarcasm, general meme-ry, and even some hope, maybe—below:

[twitter:https://twitter.com/MalacananEvents/status/1375366655992156163]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/g_lagid/status/1375740123728408578]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/vintrying/status/1375760676476481536]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/JervisManahan/status/1375744173706407936]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/_RAYnegade/status/1375754662997946370]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/linyalinya/status/1375721434094346241]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/paulomesina_/status/1375757007198679045]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/cajegas_/status/1373556125430259712]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/__russxx/status/1375765698010509314]

[twitter:https://twitter.com/attygideon/status/1375762701738074112]

This story originally appeared on Reportr.world. Edits have been made by the SPOT.ph editors.

Hey, Spotters! Check us out on Viber to join our Community and subscribe to our Chatbot.

Source: Spot PH