MANILA, Philippines — A nationwide shift to essentially the most lenient quarantine standing would possibly prioritize the economic system over public well being, Vice President Leni Robredo mentioned Sunday, saying every day circumstances are nonetheless excessive and vaccination in opposition to COVID-19 has but to start out.
Cupboard officers are assembly Monday to contemplate a nationwide shift to Modified Common Neighborhood Quarantine in March, a transfer proposed by the Nationwide Financial and Improvement Authority and already accredited by the policy-making Inter-Company Job Pressure on the Administration of Rising Infectious Illnesses.
Metro Manila mayors have additionally agreed to help the transition to MGCQ, citing the necessity to handle financial losses from pandemic-related curbs.
On her weekly radio program, Robredo questioned the knowledge of the transfer, citing dangers.
“There is no downside in shifting to MGCQ if we now have foundation,” she mentioned in Filipino over DZXL. “But when we have a look at our numbers, the transmission continues to be excessive and we nonetheless haven’t got the vaccines.”
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Well being officers reported 2,240 extra circumstances on Saturday afternoon, bringing the nation’s total depend to almost 560,000, together with 239 new deaths, the best to this point since September 2020.
The OCTA Analysis staff has warned too that the capital area can be underneath a “fixed” risk of surge in infections if it transitions to MGCQ.
Regardless of earlier authorities pronouncements that the primary doses of vaccines can be within the Philippines by mid-February, none have arrived to this point.
“We maintain saying it is due to the economic system however that might be a mistake as a result of we separate the economic system from well being,” the vice chairman mentioned. “Even when we reopen the economic system extra, if individuals are afraid, it might nonetheless be the identical.”
As an alternative, Robredo mentioned, efforts needs to be directed to controlling the unfold of the virus in addition to on ensuring that the vaccines arrive sooner.
President Rodrigo Duterte first positioned the Philippines underneath arduous lockdowns in March 2020, with the neighborhood quarantine, thought of because the world’s longest, stretching to till this 12 months because the nation continues to report greater than a thousand circumstances a day.
Restrictions had been eased starting June of final 12 months, however Metro Manila remained underneath GCQ together with different choose areas. Whereas Duterte often follows IATF suggestions, he has additionally reversed them days after they had been introduced.
