Vergeire: Proposed COVID-19 restrictions to ease if booster coverage increases

The proposed reclassification of COVID-19 restrictions will only be eased based on the current pandemic situation and if the booster coverage in the country increases to at least 50% in the next three months, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

Interviewed on GMA News' Unang Balita, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said these new restriction classifications sought by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. do not necessarily mean that the restrictions will already be relieved as the COVID-19 is still there.

“The alert level system will still remain but just for risk communication for the public and the implementing units. As to restrictions, ide-decouple po natin siya. Bibigyan na ng general guide ang publiko at saka ang ating implementing units regarding risk levels kung ano ang dapat gawin (we will decouple them and the public and our implementing units will be given a general guide on what to do regarding risk levels),” she said.

“We will be doing actions and easing restrictions based on the situation. May kondisyon din na sinabi ang ating Presidente (the President gave a condition) that we can only ease our restrictions if and when we can be able to improve our booster coverage. So ito ang pagta-trabahuan natin (we will work on this) in the first 100 days,” she added.

The government is eyeing giving booster shots to 23.8 million Filipinos to achieve a 50% booster coverage in the first 100 days of Marcos in Malacañang.

To achieve this, the DOH said on Tuesday the government has to vaccinate 397,334 individuals per day in the next 60 days.

Currently, some 15.5 million individuals in the country have received their first booster dose.

Also on Tuesday, Malacañang said the COVID-19 Alert Level System will be retained for now, but new restriction classifications that would be more compatible with the current milder strains of the coronavirus are being studied by the government.

The DOH also announced that day that the National Capital Region (NCR) will remain under Alert Level 1 until the end of July, while several other areas will remain under the same level or under Alert Level 2.

Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be allowed without regard to age and comorbidities. All establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards.

Meanwhile, under Alert Level 2, certain establishments and activities are allowed at 50% capacity indoors for fully vaccinated adults (and minors, even if unvaccinated), and 70% capacity outdoors. — RSJ, GMA News