President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected the recommendation of his economic managers for a nationwide shift to the more relaxed modified general community quarantine or MGCQ without vaccines being rolled out, his former aide said Monday.
"No vaccine rollout, no MGCQ muna," Sen. Bong Go quoted Duterte as saying.
According to Go, the President said easing of quarantines at present would not serve the "best interest of the country" and the Philippines should start its COVID-19 vaccination program first.
The National Economic Development Authority earlier recommended a nationwide shift to MGCQ by March, highlighting the need to address rising hunger and poverty due to quarantine limitations.
Acting Socioeconomic Planning Sec. Karl Chua had said that as much as 95% of the economy could operate with a nationwide MGCQ.
But the Philippines has been facing delays in the rollout of its mass COVID-19 immunization program which Health Sec. Francisco Duque III on Monday blamed on global supply shortage.
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