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The government is targeting a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the least restrictive level of lockdown, in all local government units (LGU) by the second quarter of 2021.
The undersecretary of the Department of Health, María Rosario Vergeire, said that this is the objective the government aims at.
“And hopefully, as the months progress after the second quarter, we can all shift to this new normal,” Vergeire said during the virtual press conference on Friday, December 4, 2020.
At present, however, Vergeire said that “nothing is certain.”
“We cannot be complacent at this time. We have to continue applying the minimum standards of public health, “he added.
These include the proper use of masks and face shields in public places, observing physical detachment, and proper hand washing.
Based on the milestones the government is targeting, Vergeire said that all LGUs should be able to achieve their control indicators by the end of 2020.
Control indicators include surveillance, contact tracing, isolation and testing, and health care capability.
These indicators are used as the basis for determining whether an LGU is capable of managing any potential increase in coronavirus cases, Vergeire said.
Vergeire was asked to comment on the statement by the acting director general of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda), Karl Chua, that the Philippines will likely remain in community quarantine until the end of 2021.
Chua had said that the Philippines will likely see the lifting of all community quarantines in full by 2022 alone. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)
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