MANILA: The Philippine government will wait until Covid-19 inoculations before easing social restrictions.
President Rodrigo Duterte rejected a proposal on easing quarantine rules until Covid-19 vaccines were rolled out, according to the Inquirer.net portal.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said: "The Philippines would not be placed under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) unless there is a rollout of vaccines.
"The chief executive recognises the importance of reopening the economy and its impact on people's livelihoods.
"However, the President gives higher premium to public health and safety."
He said Duterte wanted vaccinations to start "the soonest possible" to allow the country to relax its community quarantine rules.
Senator Christopher Go confirmed the president's decision when contacted.
"No vaccine rollout, no MGCQ — prrd (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte)," he said in his message to journalists.
Go said Duterte had said shifting to MGCQ was "not in the best interest of the country".
Recently, acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua recommended placing the country under MGCQ to mitigate rising poverty and income loss amid the pandemic.
Nine out of 17 Metro Manila mayors and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases agreed that the country should be placed under MGCQ.
Go said Duterte also rejected the proposal to allow limited in-person classes in low-risk areas as he "cannot in conscience allow these things to happen and something might go wrong".
Go said Duterte was "confident" that economic managers and Filipinos "will understand the situation".
Malacanang had said Duterte was concerned about the delay in arrival of Covid-19 vaccines.
But with China's Sinovac vaccine already securing an emergency use authorisation from local regulators, at least 600,000 doses donated by the Chinese government are expected to arrive in the coming days.