Metro Manila mayors want a 'stable decline' in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases before the National Capital Region (NCR) shifts to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora said.
In an interview over ANC, Zamora credited the "very sharp decline" in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the NCR to their effective interventions.
"Under GCQ (General Community Quarantine), we're seeing a sharp decline. That means even if businesses are reopening, a lot of people are out already, the numbers can still go down," Zamora added.
"This means our interventions are working, our mass testing is working, our strict implementation of guidelines," he noted.
The San Juan chief noted that the public is also now getting used to imposed protocols and realizing "they can actually live with the virus."
"We can actually continue to live our lives, go out, work, do business, without having to really worry about getting infected because the numbers are going down," he added.
However, Zamora said that the Metro mayors still want to see a stable decline in COVID-19 cases in the NCR.
"I think what Metro mayors want to see is a stable decline in the numbers. If and when we see that indeed the numbers continue to go down, then, we can now re-allow some industries and businesses to reopen," he added.
Zamora said the mayors are also "being very careful" to avoid another uptick in the number of active cases like what happened when Metro Manila reverted to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from GCQ last August.
On Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 3,073 new infections bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 307,288.