Discussions on the easing or scrapping of community quarantine classifications in the country are ongoing but are less likely to happen “immediately,” a health official said Monday.

“That’s a long term goal, that’s not going to happen now or in the next month, we’re discussing this, that’s true,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said partly in Filipino during an online media forum.

Vergeire was confirming Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing’s statement over the weekend that national government officials are discussing the easing of quarantine qualifications.

She emphasized that this long-term goal needs a plan as to when the gradual easing of restrictions would start and leave the decision on lockdowns or community quarantines to the local officials.

“That is our goal in the coming months but not yet immediately right now so that when we shift the implementation of quarantine classifications to them, there are safeguards and we won’t have risks of having further transmission,” she said partly in Filipino.

Citing that this move involves a lengthy study, Vergeire said it needs proper implementation to avoid the risk of unreasonable closing down of areas by the local governments.

Currently, the National Capital Region and Bulacan are under general community quarantine (GCQ) with ‘some restrictions’.

Meanwhile, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite are also under GCQ but with “heightened restrictions.”