Coronavirus Lockdown: EMI Habit, Hospital Admissions Going Up, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

According to the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. COVID-19 admissions are on the rise. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/05/18/2267081/covid-19-hospital-admissions-going-up

Hospital admissions for COVID are starting to go up nationwide, according to the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc.

PHAPi president Dr. Jose Rene de Grano reported that COVID-19 admissions in private hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR) and other parts of the country have exceeded 20 percent in the past days.

“We noticed that for the past two or three days, the number of cases really slightly increased. The rate of admissions in private hospitals also increased slightly,” De Grano said in mixed English and Filipino during the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday.

“Before, we only had less than 20 percent hospital admissions. Now, a few although not all, increased by more than 20 percent, and the others up to 50 percent. But it depends on the number of allocated beds,” he added.

Aside from NCR, De Grano said private hospitals in Calabarzon, particularly Cavite and Laguna as well as Aklan and Davao region, also posted a slight uptick.

However, he explained that there are few medical facilities in those regions, thus most of the patients are crowding.

He further noted that most COVID-19 admissions are considered “coincidental,” which means they sought consultation for other medical reasons, but turned out positive for the virus during screening.

At this time, De Grano said the majority of the COVID-19 cases are mild thus patients are advised to just isolate at home.

“We are closely monitoring the moderate and severe cases with comorbidities and are immune-compromised. Those should be monitored and should they worsen, at least they are already in the hospital,” he pointed out.

Even with the rising admissions, De Grano gave assurance that there is no reason for patients to fear going to hospitals to seek medical consultation.

He encouraged the public to wear face masks and to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the virus. He, however, admitted that re-imposing the mandatory face mask policy would be difficult since it has already been lifted.

De Grano says "there is no reason for patients to fear going to hospitals to seek medical consultation" but in Cagayan some hospitals workers are staying home after contracting COVID.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1772849/more-workers-in-cagayan-hospital-get-covid

Just as residents in this capital city of Cagayan province were relaxing health protocols and have lowered their guard against COVID-19, the largest government hospital in the Cagayan Valley region located here has to shut down its outpatient department on Monday after 103 of its workers tested positive for the disease.

This developed as the provinces of Quezon in Calabarzon and Zambales in Central Luzon, which are under alert levels 2 and 1, respectively, also started experiencing a spike in infections this month, authorities said.

Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao, chief of the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC), said in an interview on Monday that 15 of those who were infected with the viral disease were nurses and nursing aides of the outpatient department, while the others were nonmedical staff members of the hospital.

Baggao said the temporary closure of the outpatient department on Monday was to allow for disinfection and contact tracing involving those who could have been exposed to the infected hospital employees.

He said the hospital, which has about 2,000 regular and contractual workers, had also imposed a skeleton workforce, especially among hospital staff, many of whom were advised to isolate and follow the minimum health protocols.

“We are implementing online and phone consultations for patients who wish to refer their illnesses to us while the outpatient department is closed,” Baggao said.

The number of infected CVMC workers began to spike last week after the hospital recorded 90 COVID-19 cases among its employees by May 19.

It was still being investigated how the workers got infected since the hospital had no COVID-19 patients prior to the virus outbreak, even as 500 CVMC workers were still assigned to solely handle COVID-19 cases, as the hospital remains the major referral facility for virus-infected patients from other hospitals in the region, Baggao said.

Baggao noted that the infection could have been contracted outside the medical facility.

From no COVID cases to suddenly a lot of COVID cases.

Many cites have shut down their COVID isolation facilities but Zamboanga City is keeping theirs open.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1201772

The city government here will continue to operate its PHP134 million mega isolation facility despite the declaration of the World Health Organization that coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is no longer a global health emergency. 

Dr. Elmeir Jade Apolinario, city disaster risk reduction and management office (CDRRMO) chief, said Thursday the city has been directed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to maintain the isolation facility for quarantine purposes.

“We are directed to maintain that mega isolation facility as a Covid-19 isolation facility for the constituents of Zamboanga City,” Apolinario said.

The 320-room isolation facility is located inside the Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Authority in Barangay Talisayan here and is being manned by city health office personnel.

“We also regularly send CDRRMO personnel to inspect the facility,” he added.

Other Covid-19 isolation facilities located in Barangays Cabatangan, Sinunuc, Zone 4, and Pasonanca were already shut down. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Joshua Brillantes, the Department of Health-Zamboanga Peninsula (DOH-9) director, said the region has been placed under low-risk status for Covid-19 infection.

He noted that some hospitals in the region have converted their Covid-19 isolation wards to regular wards.

“They can already accept non-Covid patients,” he said. 

What will they do with these facility when there is no COVID? And many are being told to isolate home rather than at a facility. How much money will be wasted to maintain this facility?

The Mayor of Pasay has urged residents to follow health protocols named after her!

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/18/pasay-mayor-emi-urges-residents-to-observe-emi-habit-vs-covid-19

Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano urged residents to be cautious and continue to observe the E.M.I (Ensure to always wash your hand, Mask is a must, and Implement physical distancing) habit after the City Health Office (CHO) recorded 54 cases of Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, May 17.

Rubiano said from the 54 Covid-19 cases, 29 are new cases.

She said observing the EMI habit will help stop the spread of Covid-19 in the city.

The mayor also urged residents to visit the city’s 13 health centers that continue to conduct vaccinations against the disease from Monday to Friday at 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Rubiano said the cooperation of residents in receiving vaccinations against the disease may also prevent the spread of the virus in the city.

This has got to be the most ridiculous case of Epal I have ever come across! 

While the DOH has said the WHO's declaration that the COVID-19 global health emergency is over does not mean the pandemic has ended, President Marcos is singing a different tune. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/world/870729/marcos-who-declaring-end-to-covid-19-global-health-emergency-means-ph-can-refocus-on-economic-developmen/story/

Following the announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) that COVID-19 no longer represents a global health emergency, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Monday that the government could now refocus on the country's economic development.

Marcos mentioned this during a reception hosted by the Asian Development Bank in Mandaluyong City, as he expressed gratitude to the Manila-based lender for all its assistance to the Philippines, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With this development, we can now refocus our plans and priorities and train our size with renewed vigor, carefully guided by the stinging lessons of the pandemic, we can now refocus our priorities on the development of our economy and the betterment of the lives of ordinary Filipinos," Marcos said in his speech.

He said, however, that the WHO's declaration does not mean abandoning the universal health protocols.

"Thankfully, because of swift breakthroughs in virology and vaccinology, communities were able to build effective response systems while humanity was able to boost its immune system," Marcos said.

Marcos recalled that when he met with the ADB's Board of Governors in September of last year, he highlighted the need for the Philippines to "safely navigate through the waters of the post-pandemic world."

"The pandemic did not blur our national vision... Our goal remains to be the same as in pre-pandemic circumstances. Our goal is to evolve our economy into one that is defined by sustainability, climate resilience, responsiveness, and of course inclusivity," Marcos said.

Of course economic rebuilding bas been ongoing for the past year and half since the lockdowns were lifted. 

New bivalent vaccines are still expected but have once again been delayed. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/23/23/bivalent-covid-19-vaccine-delivery-delayed-anew

MANILA — The delivery of the country's first bivalent COVID-19 vaccines will be delayed again, the Department of Health said Tuesday.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire previously said the country would receive some 390,000 doses of the adapted version of the original vaccine this week.

"As per the DOH - Bureau of International Health Cooperation (BIHC), there shall be a slight delay in the arrival of the bivalent vaccines as there are permits that are still needed to be coordinated," the DOH said in a statement. 

"Rest assured that the Department of Health is exhausting all efforts to receive the vaccines by the end of the month."

Bivalent vaccines are modified jabs that target both the original and omicron strains of the virus.

A department memorandum regarding the administration of the omicron-specific vaccines has been signed, the DOH noted.

"With regard to the preparation and implementation of the roll-out of the bivalent vaccine, the Department Memorandum has already been signed and only awaiting for its release," it added.

The delivery of the bivalent vaccines was first put on hold in March while the DOH explored other legal remedies. 

This, after the country's state of calamity for COVID-19, which had clauses on indemnification and immunity from liability, expired on December 31.

With the state of calamity over what's the likelyhood they will even alive? And who will be injecting them into their body?

The call for a Philippine CDC is being renewed by a member of the House.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/24/pinoys-can-t-afford-to-get-hit-by-another-pandemic-says-cong-vargas

Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas renews calls for the immediate passage into law of the measure creating the Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).

A Quezon City solon is pushing for the immediate passage into law of the measure creating the Philippine Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), emphasizing the lurking threat of new Covid strains and other deadly viruses.

According to Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas, Filipinos cannot afford to get hit by another pandemic like Covid-19, which ravaged the local economy and the health system.

“Together with my brother, former Congressman Alfred Vargas, we served as witnesses to the pain and suffering of our people during the height of pandemic," the rookie congressman said.

"We cannot be caught off-guard...[we] better be prepared to protect our communities against communicable and non-communicable diseases," he added.

While the Philippines must be prepared to fight diseases the pain and suffering caused during the pandemic was because of the unnecessary and useless lockdowns and movement restrictions. As well intention as a proposed CDC is the fact is that it will likely descend into being another corrupt bureaucracy. There are too many of those as it is.