Before reconsidering the proposal to place the entire Philippines under the lowest quarantine restriction level, President Rodrigo Duterte wants two million COVID-19 vaccines rolled out.
“He (President Rodrigo Duterte) wants to see a more rigorous, a more widespread rollout of the vaccination program,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Thursday.
“He gave a figure like two million vaccines being rolled out as a start. That is when he would start reconsidering about itong pagbubukas (opening up the economy further),” he added.
According to Nograles, the two million was just an indicative number that Duterte mentioned during the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
With the launch of COVID-19 inoculations and the expected arrival of more vaccine doses, Nograles sees the shift to MGCQ happening by the next quarter.
“Sa second quarter po, baka ito na ang tamang panahon na magshift na tayo sa MGCQ para sa buong Pilipinas,” he said.
The President also said earlier this week that Filipinos may have to wait until 2023 before the Philippines could return to normalcy. Malacañang denied the remark had any “chilling effect” on consumer activity.
“Sabi nga ni Presidente, magsimula lang itong bakuna, magkaroon lang ng mas maraming taong nabakunahan na, bubuksan ko na ang lahat,” said Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. “Dahil alam nga po niya importante na magkaroon ng hanapbuhay ang lahat.”
