The Trade Department says that it’s about time to ease further the quarantine restrictions in the National Capital Region or NCR.

The government has suspended the relaxation of community quarantine in Metro Manila following the surge of new UK COVID-19 variant cases.

Trade Secretary Mon Lopez said that the relaxation of the quarantine could help in reviving the economy.

“Kung kami ang tatanungin sa economic team, talaga namang kino-consider natin na basta ma-establish lang ang numero, we will really make the proposal to de-escalate, relax. It’s about time,” Lopez said in a press briefing.

Lopez said that Filipinos follow the strict health protocols amid the pandemic.

“Iyong pagpapaluwag is something we can really consider even next month kung kakayanin magtuloy-tuloy itong pagbaba,” he added.

Metro Manila has been under the general community quarantine since August. GCQ is the third strictest lockdown imposed by the government.

President Rodrigo Duterte previously lamented that the country loses Php2 billion pesos a day due to the coronavirus lockdown.

“Talagang nababahala na rin po talaga ang ating Presidente na kinakailangan makabangon na tayo sa lalaong mabilis na panahon dahil malinaw naman po na baka mas maraming nagugutom ngayon at mamamatay sa gutom kaysa sa COVID,” Roque said. (TDT)