Scrapping of community quarantine classifications a long-term goal — DOH

The national government is studying the possibility of doing away with community quarantine classifications to give local officials wider discretion in enforcing anti-coronavirus measures, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

In her regular media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire confirmed reports that the government was looking at scrapping the COVID-19 quarantine classifications in the future.

“That’s the long-term goal. That’s not going to happen now or next month,” she said. 

“We’re discussing it because we want to have safeguards in place so that we can avoid the risk of having further transmission.”

Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said in a separate media interview that ending the quarantine classification system would only be possible once the country achieves herd immunity, which means vaccinating up to 70% of the population.

Densing also said the discussions on the matter came after governors had requested more leeway in enforcing granular lockdowns.

The Philippines aims to inoculate up to 58 million people by the end of the year. So far, around two million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated, according to the government. — RSJ, GMA News