Malacañang said on Thursday the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF) may decide on the possible new guidelines for religious gatherings in areas under community quarantine next week.
In an online press briefing, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the IATF has finally completed its consultation with religious groups on Wednesday.
He said those who attended submitted detailed “doable” proposals implementing social distancing during religious gatherings.
“I think in the coming weeks, the proposals will be included in the agenda of the IATF. If not on Friday [May 29], maybe next week. So let us wait for it,” Roque said.
Until a current policy of the IATF on the matter, Roque said religious gatherings will be limited to five to 10 participants in areas under community quarantine.
Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’s (CBCP) have been pushing to remove the existing cap for participants for religious gatherings, which they said is unreasonable.
They noted religious gathering, like Masses, should be allowed to resume but on the condition participants follow social distancing rules to help people cope with the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Some local government units are against allowing the religious gatherings, where Covid-19 could spread.
Image credits: Roy Domingo