MANILA – Once the country has rolled out two million doses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, President Rodrigo Duterte may authorize the pilot test of face-to-face classes, Palace official said.
According to Cabinet secretary Karlo Nograles, Duterte told his Cabinet members on Wednesday that he wanted a “more rigorous, more widespread” vaccination before allowing limited in-person classes.
“Ang sabi nga niya is that unless he sees about, he gave a figure like two million vaccines being rolled out as a start, then that’s when he will start reconsidering about itong pagbubukas,” Nograles said on Thursday.
Once the President authorized the pilot test of the face-to-face classes, Nograles said it will only be conducted in areas with low COVID-19 transmission rates.
Last month, Duterte rejected twice the Department of Education’s proposed pilot test of limited face-to-face classes.
Meanwhile, Nograles said Duterte has the same criteria for the shift of the entire country to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
The President first rejected calls to shift the National Capital Region to MGCQ this month.
“Sa second quarter po, baka ito na ang tamang panahon na magshift na tayo sa MGCQ para sa buong Pilipinas,” said Nograles.
The Philippines has so far inoculated 8,559 individuals with COVID-19 shots from the China-based drug manufacturer Sinovac Biotech. 600,000 doses of which were donated by China on Sunday./PN
