MANILA – Vice President Leni Robredo questioned the proposal that aims to place the entire country under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) next month.
“Ano yung basis ng MGCQ? Wala naman problema kung mag-MGCQ kung may basehan tayo dun,” Robredo said. “Pero pag tignan natin yung numero, yung numero ang taas pa rin ng transmission. Ang taas ng transmission, wala pa yung bakuna,” Robredo said during her “BISErbisyong Leni” radio show over radio station DZXL on Sunday.
“Para sa akin, dapat ‘yung energies natin, dapat nandun sa pag-kontrol ng transmission tsaka sa pag-provide ng bakuna. Hindi na sa kung anu-ano pa,” she added.
Acting National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief Karl Chua has previously recommended the nationwide MGCQ proposal for the economy to recover from the impact of COVID-19.
Part of NEDA’s proposal is to allow 75 percent seating capacity in public transportation. Five to 70 years old are allowed to go out but not necessarily allowing their entry to malls. Another part of the proposal is the resumption of pilot face-to-face classes in low-risk areas.
The proposal gained the nods of the majority of mayors from the National Capital Region together with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
The OCTA Research group, however, reacted to NEDA’s recommendation saying it will be dangerous since COVID-19 and UK variant cases are increasing in some parts of the country.
The group also warned that if Metro Manila will be placed under MGCQ, cases will surge up to 2,400 new cases per day by March 26.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte may decide on the proposed nationwide MGCQ by Monday or before the end of the month./PN
