Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases is finalizing its decision to lessen the quarantine period for vaccinated individuals to five to seven days.

This was revealed by Ano during the public address of President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night.

"Sir, it is being discussed by the IATF. In fact, we are just finalizing it. The quarantine period will become five to seven days for vaccinated individuals," he said.

During the taped Talk to The People, Duterte asked his cabinet members about the concern of his doctor from the United States who spent 14 days in a quarantine facility in the country.

"I have a doctor from America. He was just released after spending 14 days. It's too long sir. If you can talk to the Task Force, is it really demanded of the moment? And is it really a compelling thing that you complete the 10-day detention?," said Duterte.

"They were talking about the incubation period of about seven days. when it enters your body, at least seven days it will go out. I may be wrong. I may have misheard but if that was true, make it seven days," he said.

"It will manifest in the body within seven days. It could be on the second, third, fourth, or fifth. Beyond that, it will gradually disappear, that is what they said," he added.

Duterte also expressed his concern to the overseas Filipino workers who have to spend 14 days in quarantine facilities before they will be allowed to go home to their families.

"If it’s really the incubation period of a germ entering your body and it will manifest within seven days, and beyond that, it's already a different illness. I feel sorry for our OFWs," he said.

Duterte said reducing the quarantine period to seven days will also help the government save some money from paying the hotels used as isolation facilities for OFWs.

"Also our debt, because the hotels that we use are good, the Manila Hotel, Diamond Hotel. these are not just any hotels," he said. Robina Asido/DMS