Duterte to decide on economy reopening by April

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to decide on reopening the economy through easing quarantine restrictions by April, according to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

Roque stated that quarantine classifications are decided monthly, and the government is looking at opening the economy by April.

The President had previously expressed his quandary on reopening the economy due to increasing COVID-19 cases and limited vaccine supply, but acknowledged that prolonged strict quarantine measures are unsustainable.

The government is monitoring the country's attack rates and healthcare utilization to evaluate readiness for a transition to the most relaxed Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) status.

Under MGCQ, venues can be occupied up to 50%, a significant adjustment from the current limit of 10 people in General Community Quarantine (GCQ) areas.

Roque emphasized that easing restrictions does not mean compromising public health, as the country has adapted to the pandemic over the past year.