Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion thumbed down suggestions to raise the alert level status in the National Capital Region (NCR) from one to two, saying that such a move could cripple the economy.

“If our Covid cases are not ending up in hospitals, then there is no need for higher alert levels,” Concepcion, founder of Go Negosyo, said on Tuesday, June 14.

“The basis should always be the healthcare utilization rates,” he added.

He cited medical experts such as Dr. Edsel Salvaña, an infectious disease expert and member of the government’s Technical Advisory Group (TAG), who said that the severity of Covid-19 and related death should be the “metric by which we decide whether or not to raise alert levels.”

His statement came after reports of a gradual uptick in Covid infection rates raised the possibility of putting NCR under Alert Level 2, a more restrictive quarantine classification.

As of June 13, the Philippines recorded 386 new cases, with almost half, or 188, in NCR.

However, ICU rates are at a low 20 percent, and the healthcare utilization rate is at 16.6 percent for the entire country.

“We need to change our mindset. We can’t go into panic or be paralyzed again when we see infection rates going up. This is not the way we are going to learn to live with Covid,” Concepcion said.

READ: Alert Level 2 in NCR possible if Covid-19 cases continue to go up, says Vergeire

In a Facebook post, Salvaña explained that the country doesn’t need to escalate to Alert Level 2 as long as the hospital capacity remains good.

This was echoed by Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire during the Laging Handa Public Briefing on June 13.

“Let us not look at the number of cases, we need to look at the hospital capacity because this is more important to our healthcare system,” she said.

Concepcion has been appealing for less mobility restrictions as he emphasized that the focus should now be on preserving the health of the economy.

He warned of “stagflation,” a term referring to high inflation rate, slow economic growth, and high unemployment.

“The conflict in Europe will cause everyone so much pain – the manufacturers, retailers, consumers. It will become worse if it drags on. We could have food shortages,” Concepcion said.

READ: Concepcion brushes aside Omicron threat: ‘Health of PH economy must be our concern’

Fuel prices continue to soar because of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, causing a cascade of increases in the prices of commodities and consequently, basic goods.

This latest global crisis is threatening to cripple businesses, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises, which are now only starting to recover from the pandemic.

“This is why we can’t increase our alert levels. Our domestic production, especially in the agri sector, should be strengthened to help the consumers,” Concepcion said.