Opening of more economic activities to continue: DTI

MANILA – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said his office will continue to recommend to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) the opening of more businesses and economic activities.

In a public briefing hosted by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Friday, Lopez said the IATF will study which sectors can be opened gradually despite the postponement of easing the age restriction and retaining Metro Manila under general community quarantine (GCQ) status.

“Two meetings ago with the IATF, we created a small working group that will study which of the remaining sectors under Category 4, or those that are open only in MGCQ (modified GCQ) areas, can be re-categorized under GCQ,” Lopez said in Filipino.

He added that the goal of the IATF to place the entire country under MGCQ in the first quarter of the year is “very much doable”.

However, the government has to observe the United Kingdom SARS-CoV-2 variant situation in the country; the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte suspended the easing of age restriction and placing Metro Manila under GCQ.

Moving forward, Lopez said they will continue the gradual and safe reopening of business and economic activities.

One of the sectors they are considering for reopening under GCQ areas includes some segments of the tourism sector such as museums and other tourist places that can still maintain the minimum public health protocol.

“That is a big consideration – to reopen other parts of tourism. We will study that. There is a chance to reopen it, but we will study it first,” he added.

Lopez also called on the public to strictly practice the minimum health standards in order to avoid the risk of contracting Covid-19.

He said that the strict compliance to the public health standard will help in reopening more business activities that will also allow economic recovery.