More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The IATF has finally freed the public of mandatory face mask wearing in public places including outdoors. The DOH says the public should continue to wear them anyway.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183230 |
The Department of Health is urging the public to continue wearing face masks, whether these are required or not, as it is still the best way to protect oneself against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
In a Viber message to reporters, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said Resolution Number 1, series of 2022 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) is only recommendatory and has been submitted for the consideration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“The position of the DOH is for us to continue on masking, but there were several data that were presented also that led to this decision,” she said.
“We needed to balance between the health and economy, and what we have compromised would be, this will be done among low risk individuals and in low risk settings."
Vergeire defined low-risk individuals as persons who are not senior citizens, without comorbidities, not children, and not having symptoms of Covid-19.
Low risk settings are outdoor places that are not crowded and with good ventilation.
Citing the many benefits of such practice, the DOH said the wearing of face masks protects the senior citizens and individuals with comorbidities against Covid-19 and prevents the spread of coughs and colds.
The OCTA has given an ominous warning about the suspension of the face mask mandate.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1660536/voluntary-face-mask-rule-may-not-affect-covid-19-numbers-in-first-few-weeks-octa |
The number of Covid-19 cases won’t be affected in the first few weeks should the government make face masks worn outdoors voluntarily, a fellow independent pandemic monitor Octa Research Group said Thursday.
Dr. Butch Ong explained that the transmission risk is relatively lower outdoors. However, preventive measures should still be intensified.
"As long as it is only outdoors. Since the risk of transmission is lower when outdoors," he said in a public briefing when asked what would be the effect if wearing face masks were optional.
(The effect might not be dramatic over the next few weeks, but we still need to look at the data these coming days.)
He said that should the government decide to ease the mask mandate. Then, intensified preventive measures should accompany it.
He added that those who have symptoms should no longer go outside and should be encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/10/mayor-baste-davao-city-holding-on-to-mandatory-face-mask-for-now/ |
Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte here said the city government would only adopt the optional wearing of face masks outdoors as recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) nationwide if there is data showing that it would not trigger a Covid-19 surge.Duterte said while he is amenable to easing the strict face mask policy in outdoor spaces, he would still want to see if this would work out in other local government units (LGUs).
He said that City Health Office (CHO) head Dr. Ashley Lopez recommended keeping the existing local policy on the mandatory wearing of face masks in public until the end of the year.
City Ordinance No. 0307-20 passed on July 23, 2020 provides that any person caught not wearing a face mask in public places shall be penalized with a fine of P500 for the first offense; P2,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 or one-month imprisonment for the third offense.
“(In my view, it’s OK if keep it until December. I want to see what will happen to the provinces, municipalities, and cities that will apply the optional wearing of face masks),” Duterte said.
He added that the city government will apply the optional wearing of face masks if it would not endanger the safety of people as the threat of Covid-19 remains.
“(If we see that it turns out OK for them, that’s when we follow. I don’t want us to initiate it first because the problem of Covid is tiresome),” he said.
Duterte said he does not want the city to grapple with another Covid-19 surge which has already encumbered this city for more than two years.
The reality is that what has really encumbered not only Davao City but the entire nation are the restrictive measures which have not stopped the spread of the virus whatsoever. The Governor of Iloilo says he will lift the face mask requirement for the same reason Duterte says he will keep it.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/10/22/iloilo-governor-eases-mask-rule-says-he-trusts-residents |
Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. on Friday said he trusts his constituents to protect themselves from COVID-19, prompting him to make the wearing of face masks outdoors optional in the entire province.He also attributed the change in policy to the province's high vaccination rate and low number of COVID-19 cases.In a video released by the Provincial Government, Defensor explained his reason he issued an executive order making face masks non-mandatory outdoors.(Why did we make it optional? Because we trust our residents. After more than two-and-a-half years of facing COVID-19, we know what to do. We know that if you're immunocompromised or a senior citizen, you have to augment your protection.)
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183304 |
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday welcomed the recommendation to ease the country's mask mandate, saying it would give the Philippine tourism sector "a better chance to regain its vibrant and booming operations.”
The DOT cited a comparative analysis, saying relaxing mask mandates "did not appear to cause an uptick in Covid-19 cases" in neighboring Asean countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
"The Philippines is currently in a position wherein its existing entry and stay policies for tourists convey only a partial reopening of the country to international travel," Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said.
"For this reason, the Philippines is immediately at a grave disadvantage as a tourism destination vis-à-vis its neighboring Asean member states because the latter, which are the Philippines’ direct tourism competitors, have all lifted their mask mandates either totally or partially,” she added.
Frasco added that aside from Singapore, other Southeast Asian countries saw a general increase in tourist arrivals after mask mandates were liberalized.
“There seems to be no direct correlation between the lifting of mask mandates and the increase in Covid-19 cases, only that the lifting of the mask mandates has served to more than double the tourist arrivals in these countries,” she said.
For good or for bad the mandate on face masks in public places has now been lifted.
The state of emergency has been extend until the end of the year.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/13/22/state-of-calamity-due-to-covid-stays-until-end-of-2022 |
The state of calamity in the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic stays until the end of the year, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Proclamation No. 57 signed Monday.But it may be lifted earlier than Dec. 31, or extended depending on the circumstances, the document showed.With the extension of the state of calamity, Marcos enjoined all government agencies and local government units to "continue rendering full assistance to and cooperation with each other and mobilize the necessary resources... to curtail and eliminate the threat of COVID-19."Law enforcement agencies, with the support from the military, are also directed to ensure peace and order.According to the proclamation, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recommended the further extension of the state of calamity in the country for the continuous delivery of COVID-19 related interventions, such as the following:• COVID-19 vaccination program• utilization of appropriate funds, including the Quick Response Fund• monitoring and controlling prices of basic necessities and prime commodities; and,• provision of basic services to affected population
The state of calamity has been extended so the government can continue procuring COVID-19 supplies without having to get Congressional approval. It will likely be extended again.
Despite the ongoing emergency and the extension of the state of calamity not only has the President failed to appoint a DOH secretary but the DOH budget has been significantly slashed.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/09/13/2209431/doh-budget-cuts-covid-response-health-worker-benefits-cancer-assistance |
The Department of Budget and Management slashed the funds for COVID-19 response, benefits for healthcare workers, and support for cancer patients proposed by the Department of Health.
During a budget briefing at the House of Representatives Monday, health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency proposed a budget of P95 billion for the government’s COVID-19 response for next year, but only P24.49 billion was approved in the National Expenditure Program for Fiscal Year 2023.
The NEP, which the executive branch submits the Congress, is the basis for the proposed national budget.
Asked by Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay) if the amount proposed was sufficient, Vergeire responded: "Looking at how we’re having this declining number of cases, we think this would be sufficient based on the response that we’re having right now. But if we’re going to prepare to procure the new generation of vaccines, we might be needing additional funds.”
Rep. Janette Garin (Iloilo), a former health secretary, pointed out that the budget for the prevention and control of communicable diseases such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, HIV, and monkeypox was cut.
"If you look at the comparison of the 2022 budget vis-à-vis the 2023 proposed budget, there is a reduction of 71.21%," Garin said.
A reduction of 71%. That is inexcusable. For now this is only a proposed budget. The amount could change before it becomes law.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have caused a backlog in surgeries. A group of surgeons came together to fix that problem.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/12/22/pinoy-doctors-perform-free-surgeries-to-ease-covid-backlog |
If there are any more backlogs of this kind hopefully they can come together again and fix the problem.Over 100 Filipino doctors and operating room nurses conducted simultaneous surgical procedures nationwide to reduce a backlog of surgeries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.According to Dr. Ramon Inso, president of Philippine College of Surgeons, elective operating surgeries were limited during the height of lockdowns."The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was really very deep in terms of being unable to do the surgery on patients who really need them," he told ABS-CBN News.This led the PCS, its various chapters, the Philippine Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Operating Room Nurses Association of the Philippines to collaborate and hold free surgical procedures for indigent patients.Over 80 private and public hospitals participated in the event dubbed as "National Surgical Outreach Day," which started on Sept. 5. The simultaneous cutting was held through Zoom."We want to show to the world that we are doing our part as surgeons, as anesthesiologists, as operating room nurses. We are contributing to help address the unmet or neglected surgeries in the country," Inso said.Nearly 140 surgical procedures were performed during the event."This is the first one that has been done and I'm not aware of any other," he added.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183579 |
A survey by OCTA Research shows that a big chunk of the Filipino population will continue to wear face masks even if the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will be controlled.OCTA Research fellow Ranjit Rye presented the recent survey of the group following the issuance of Malacañang Palace on the voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings.“(This is) also probably the reason why very few reactions from the people against the new policy of the President, is because 30 percent of the adult population will continue to wear masks six months after Covid-19 is declared controlled,” Rye said during the Pandesal Forum Tuesday.Twenty-eight percent of the respondents said they will continue wearing face masks a year after Covid-19 is declared controlled, 16 percent said they will continue it even after two years, and 18 percent said they will continue wearing face masks five years after the coronavirus is deemed controlled.“These are huge numbers. There seems to be a consensus among adult Filipinos that masks are important and we don’t need to encourage them. They will wear masks because of their belief that it is for their own safety,” Rye added.He said the survey result jives well with the new policy of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on outdoor masking.“We don’t need to mandate it. People will wear it and the big chunk of the population will continue to wear it even after Covid is declared gone,” he said.
"We don't need to mandate it" because people will wear the mask even when COVID is "declared" gone. Isn't that lovely? The people have been trained well. That's what two years of restrictions will do to a population.
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