DTI assures food supply enough amid return to ECQ

Days before the strictest COVID-19 quarantine restrictions would be reimplemented in Metro Manila, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) over the weekend assured the public that there would be enough food supply during the quarantine.

According to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, the public need not resort to hoarding as they will be allowed to go outside and replenish their stocks.

“Puwede naman lumabas ‘yung bibili, lalo na ng pagkain at tsaka groceries. Allowed naman ‘yan,” he said in a report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

“At tsaka isa pa, hindi dapat mag-alala na baka maubusan ng stocks. Hindi po, sobrang dami ng pagkain,” he added.

[Going out is allowed especially to purchase food and groceries… One more, no need to worry that they might run out of stocks. No, there is an abundant supply of food.]

This comes as Metro Manila will again be placed under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from Friday, August 6, to August 20, 2021.

It is currently under general community quarantine “subject to heightened and additional restrictions” until Thursday, August 5, 2021.

The current GCQ with heightened and additional restrictions already bans indoor and al fresco dining, while the ECQ will only allow essential trips and services.

The decision to reimplement strict quarantine restrictions comes after the Metro Manila Council met with the government’s inter-agency COVID-19 task force to appeal for the imposition of stricter measures.

The Philippines on Sunday reported 8,735 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 1,597,689. This includes 63,646 active cases; 1,506,027 recoveries; and 28,016 deaths. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News