By Alec Go
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said he prefers the retention of Alert Level 2 classification as mobility is expected to increase during the holiday season.
Speaking at the Laging Handa briefing on Tuesday (Dec. 7), Duque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) will discuss the matter on Thursday (Dec. 9).
“Dapat siguro manatili muna sa Alert Level 2. Bakit kamo? Unang-una, ang mobility, tataas na naman ngayong Kapaskuhan, alam natin ‘yan, at mayroong nagbabadyang banta ng Omicron variant,” he said.
“Maigi nang mas konserbatibo tayo. Anyway, malaki-laki na rin ang bahagi ng ekonomiya na binuksan natin under the Alert Level 2, at ang mga establisyimento, ang kanilang kapasidad nasa 50%,” he added.
Duque noted that the current capacity of establishments with Safety Seal can be expanded by 10%, while the capacity of those in areas with 70% vaccination coverage can increase by 20%.
All areas in the country are under Alert Level 2 until mid-December.
In the Dec. 7 Palace briefing, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said they are waiting for the final findings from the World Health Organization (WHO) and international health experts on Omicron while they finalize the parameters for Alert Level 1.
Meanwhile, Duque said they are waiting for more information on the Omicron variant in response to appeals to bring back the three-day facility-based quarantine for inbound passengers. – bny
Watch the full interview here:
