Economic managers favor a faster vaccination rollout and localized lockdowns to address the risks posed by the Delta variant of COVID-19 rather than placing the entire country under stricter community quarantines.
The Delta variant was first detected in India and has been causing concerns globally.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said Monday that although the government recognized the higher risk of the Deltavariant, this could be better managed by guarding borders and enforcing the health standards.
Chua said this could as well be managed by "imposing localized lockdowns in areas of transmission, rather than placing the entire country or large areas in general community quarantine or higher level of quarantine."
"Data shows that the far majority of people comply with health standards and need to work to address their hunger and other non-COVID health concerns," Chua said.
Chua added that the government's effort should be on accelerating the deployment of vaccines to protect the population.
"As supply resumes next week, we will exert effort to increase vaccination centers, including in malls and work places, and prioritizing areas of highest risk of infection," Chua said.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, meanwhile, said the decision of the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) allowing children more than 5 years old living in MGCQ and GCQ areas to go outdoors would "certainly improve the physical and psychological health of the kids and their parents."
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the IATF to extend the current general community quarantine (GCQ) in “NCR Plus” and the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in 21 areas until July 15.
Metro Manila and Bulacan will stay under GCQ with some restrictions until July 15 along with the province Rizal, which is currently placed under GCQ “with heightened restrictions."
Laguna and Cavite, the remaining two areas of the “NCR Plus” bubble, will remain under GCQ “with heightened restrictions” until July 15.
Duterte also approved the proposal to place a total of 21 provinces and cities under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), a stricter form of quarantine, until July 15.
Local governments have been ordered to maintain strict and uniform border controls to avoid the entry of the Delta variant into the country.
The pandemic triggered a 9.6-percent drop in the gross domestic product last year, the worst since the end of World War II.
In other developments:
* The Union of Local Authorities in the Philippines (ULAP) urged the national government to allow the use of antigen tests for travelers on an emergency trip. Quirino Gov. Dakila Cua, president of the group, said it usually takes two days to get the results of RT-PCR tests, but there are instances when someone traveling in an emergency will arrive without being tested. In these cases, he said, an antigen test would provide some form of screening at the border.
* The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) urged local oxygen suppliers to double their capacity in case of another pandemic surge and to export oxygen as a health emergency product, in case of excess capacity. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the country still has about 20 to 30 percent excess capacity in the last three to four months. The unused capacity may have increased even more, as COVID-19 cases have steadily dropped in the last few months.
* The Philippine National Police (PNP) is not only enforcing the law but also helping implement health protocols and other COVID-19 prevention measures especially with the emergence of several variants, Senator Christopher Go said. In acknowledging the significant role of policemen in preventing the transmission of the virus, Go noted that they go after violators of health protocol imposed by the DOH and IATF.