The Philippine government must focus on reviving the economy instead of "creating unnecessary fear." That's what Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, a vocal opposition to reimposition of mask mandate against Covid-19, urged the government as he said that "the economy is more important right now." He made the pronouncement amid fears that masking up might be ordered again, although the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) already clarified that it would not. "If we go creating unnecessary fear, then the tourists and investors will have second thoughts," he said in One News interview on Wednesday, "All over the world, people are no longer talking about Covid." Concepcion said "the economy is what we have to focus on," arguing that "people may not die from Covid but they can die from hunger." "We have to get tourism back on its feet, and we want to see mobility. How do you expect our GDP to grow unless consumer spending happens?" he said, adding that economy and job creation should now be the priority. Concepcion said that the recent rise in positivity rates has not overwhelmed the country’s healthcare system, unlike during the height of the pandemic—an observation he said was also shared by the Department of Health. He said people, and even medical practitioners, now "already know how to manage their own situations" as far as Covid-19 is concerned, so "let's not over-anticipate." "What we have to do is continue to bring confidence that the Philippines is a safe place," he said. But he maintained that some of the health and safety protocols must remain, including receiving vaccination and voluntary use of face masks indoors. ”Yes, we have to be prepared, but let’s not overreact," he said.