DTI: ‘It’s About Time’, Supports Nationwide MGCQ on March

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) supports the nationwide application of the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) this coming March.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said that it is time to move on to a relaxed restriction after a year of lockdown.

“It is about time we move to MGCQ after a year of lockdown… Lockdown was supposed to buy us time to prepare our health system and improve contact tracing and ‘Trace-Test-Treat’,” Lopez said.

While most cities and municipalities are now in MGCQ, NCR however is still under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) since last year.

Lopez added that the stricter quarantine measure in NCR has negatively impacted the economy already, and may continue to contribute to the slow recovery of the region.

With the plan to implement a nationwide MGCQ, the department hopes to reopen the economy to help recover from the loss last year.

However, Lopez mentioned that the reopening of the economy will still depend on the COVID-19 statistics. (ASC)