Duterte adviser: There’s no need to place NCR under Alert Level 4

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion on Saturday said that there’s no need to upgrade the Alert Level or quarantine status in the National Capital Region (NCR) as people are expected to remain indoors after the Christmas season.

“The first quarter of the year is a weak and slow quarter since many have spent the money with Christmas gifts and New Year gatherings. This is the quarter where we see slow sales for most businesses,” Concepcion said in a statement.

“So even if they did not place it in Alert Level 3, mobility will really drop and on top of that surge, nobody will go out so there is no need to place it under Alert Level 4. People are generally scared to go out now because of the increase in cases and they have already spent their money during the holidays last month,” he added.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier raised the possibility of upgrading the quarantine status in NCR to Alert Level 4 as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

Duque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) is considering further upgrading the COVID-19 Alert Level in Metro Manila as healthcare care utilization rate in the region is nearing moderate risk.

Concepcion, however, said the private sector, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) cannot afford another lockdown.

“We're borrowing trillions of pesos. Our debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) is growing. If we surpass 60%, then it's gonna hurt us big time. So we have to open the economy and leave it open but we should do it carefully," he said.

Even though mobility is limited during this time, the presidential adviser believes that having a great and busy last quarter last year could still help businesses, especially the small enterprises in coping with the situation.

The number of persons allowed to enter certain establishments will be limited if Alert Level 4 is implemented.

Under Alert Level 4, establishments are allowed to operate at 10% indoor capacity strictly for fully vaccinated individuals only and 30% outdoor capacity. Cinemas, contact sports, face-to-face classes, amusement parks, casinos will not be allowed to operate.

Metro Manila is currently under Alert Level 3 and this system is in place until January 15.

The government also placed adjacent provinces Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal under Alert Level 3 from January 3 until January 15, while Laguna is under the same alert level starting January 7 until January 15.

Fourteen more cities and provinces were placed under Alert Level 3 starting January 9 until 15 due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

Under Alert Level 3, several establishments are allowed to operate at 30% indoor venue capacity only for fully vaccinated individuals and 50% outdoor venue capacity, provided that all employees are fully vaccinated.

Face-to-face classes, contact sports, funfairs/perya, and casinos are among the activities and establishments that are prohibited under Alert Level 3.

Work at government offices is limited to 60% of their onsite capacity.

Concepcion, meanwhile, lauded the move of Manila mayors to restrict the movement of unvaccinated individuals, saying it is the right step.

“If we protect the unvaccinated by limiting their movement, we can protect them from possible hospitalization until they get their vaccines. If we continue to maintain a low hospitalization rate in the country, our economy can continuously recover,” he said. -- BAP, GMA News