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Gov't eyes shift to MGCQ of all LGUs by Q1 2021


The government is targeting to ease restrictions to the lowest community quarantine across the entire country come the first quarter of 2021, a top official of the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.

In an interview during state-run PTV’s Laging Handa, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH along with the Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19 have set targets or measures to determine whether a local government would be allowed to shift to a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

“Isa po diyan ang indicators for gatekeeping sa local governments. Ibig sabihin kailangan ‘yung mga surveillance system, contact tracing ay efficient,” Vergeire said.

Local governments should also have sufficient capacity to prevent the spread of the disease and have efficient measures in place to detect, isolate, and treat infected individuals.

“Kapag naa-achieve na target na ‘yan pwede na sila mag-shift to MGCQ,” Vergeire said.

“Aming tinitignan na by the first quarter of 2021, hopefully, all local governments might be able to shift to MGCQ already because they have achieved their gatekeeping indicators,” she noted.

Currently, the rest of the country; except for Metro Manila, Batangas, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Tacloban City, Lanao del Sur, and Iligan City; are under an MGCQ - which is characterized as the loosest quarantine classification and a precursor to the “new normal.”

Under MGCQ, most businesses are allowed to resume operations at full capacity while mass gatherings are also allowed, albeit at 50% venue capacity. — DVM, GMA News

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