President Rodrigo Duterte will not relax quarantine restrictions if the COVID-19 cases in the country continue to increase, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Tuesday.
Duterte earlier said that he would only ease restrictions if at least two million Filipinos were already vaccinated against COVID-19.
“‘Yung indicative number niya is 2 million Filipinos getting inoculated. The other variable na kailangan tignan eh iyong number of COVID-19 cases. Kahit na sabihin natin na 2 million na ang na-inoculate, pero cases are rising… then mukhang hindi pa feasible ang GCQ in certain areas based on the formula that we use which is attack rate, hospital bed utilization rate, and other socio-economic factors,” Nograles said during a Pandesal forum.
However, the Cabinet mamber said that the government, particularly the local government units, are not helpless in such a situation.
“Siyempre, part of the consideration iyong COVID-19 cases natin. Kaya it is something that the mayors in GCQ (general community quarantine) areas have to respond to with localized lockdown kung gusto talaga natin ma-contain ang pag-spread ng COVID-19 doon sa areas of concern,” he added.
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No easing of restrictions if cases continue to rise – Nograles
Nograles also said it is too early to tell if the entire country would be placed under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) by April.
“It is too early to tell. The Inter-Agency Task Force is not just one person. Idaan natin sa proseso,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Cecilio Pedro of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), urged the government to also invest resources in helping businesses recover from the pandemic.
“How about a stimulus package? Kasi kahit dumating na ang mga vaccine, paano kung patay na ang mga negosyo? We need to bring up the employment,” Pedro said.
Nograles answered that Congress is pushing for a Bayanihan 3 which has P420 billion stimulus package. However, President Rodrigo Duterte is yet to decide on its merits.
“Ayoko ko po siyang pangunahan,” Nograles said.