Coronavirus Lockdown: Top Officials Blamed, Pandemic Trends, and More!

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

The average number of daily COVID-19 cases in the Philippines continues to fall. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1918480/fwd-doh-covid-stats-feb-to-march-2024

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported that 251 new COVID-19 cases were logged in hospitals across the country from Feb. 27 to March 4, translating to an average of 36 cases logged per day.

“This is 27 percent lower compared to the average daily cases recorded last February 20 to 26,” the health agency said.

In comparison, the DOH logged an average of 34,903 new COVID-19 cases per day during the “peak” of the pandemic in January 2022.

However, the DOH also reported that among the new COVID-19 cases, seven people died—five of them within two weeks from Feb. 20 to March 4.

Among the reported new COVID-19 cases, three were also labeled as severe and critical.

Out of the 1,185 COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds available, only 115 or 10 percent are presently occupied, while 1,119 or 11 percent of the 10,097 COVID-19 non-ICU beds are in use per the DOH’s latest data.

The health department said that its latest data shows “low severity and fatality” and is credited to the protection given by the high vaccination coverage among Filipinos.

“Moving forward, we have learned our lessons and we now know better,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa was quoted as saying in the DOH’s statement.

The health department also said it “continues to be vigilant for any new infectious disease threats and many other health conditions affecting Filipinos.

Looks like the DOH is gaming for "disease X" which could strike at any moment. 

The Commission on Population is blaming social media on the rise in teenage pregnancies. And also pornography which they say was exacerbated by the pandemic. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/03/14/2340382/social-media-partly-blame-teenage-pregnancies

Too much social media exposure is partly to blame for the alarming rise in teenage pregnancies in the country, the Commission on Population (POPCOM) said yesterday.

“(Social media) is one of the factors. Exposure to pornography has been high, especially in 2021,” POPCOM Knowledge Management and Communication Division acting chief Mylin Quiray said during the Bagong Pilipinas public briefing.

Quiray cited the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study in the Philippines, which found that high exposure to pornography in 2021 was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local government units must implement sex education programs, particularly among the 10 to 19 age group, she advised.

The Department of Education has started integrating sexuality education in the K-10 curriculum, Quiray noted.

Government records showed teenage pregnancy on the rise among those aged 10 to 19.

But its four years on. How long will these things be blamed on the pandemic? 

Some health workers have yet to receive their health emergency allowances. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1918866/top-officials-blamed-for-delayed-allowances

Private health care workers on Thursday called for the resignations of top government officials for bungling the release of their mandated health emergency allowances (HEA).

“Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman should resign for their negligence and dismissing the plight of health care workers in the country,” said Edgar Aran of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Employees Association, as members of the United Private Hospital Unions of the Philippines (UPHUP) staged a protest outside the Department of Health (DOH) regional office in the National Capital Region.

“The fund has been with you (DOH) since January. What’s the reason why you have not given the HEA for private hospital workers?” UPHUP spokesperson Ronald Richie Ignacio said.

UPHUP members complained that the current situation was “mired in confusion,” as both the Department of Budget and Management and the DOH engaged in a “blame game” which caused the delay.

It's unbelievable that after four years the DOH cannot distribute the money for private hospital workers. 

Public hospital workers have finally received their allowance.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/16/group-lauds-release-of-covid-19-benefits-for-gov-t-health-workers

After a relentless two-year battle, health workers in Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), and the Department of Health (DOH)-retained health workers have triumphed in securing their long-overdue health emergency allowances (HEA) covering the period from January to July 2023.

In a statement released on Saturday, March 16, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) confirmed that health workers from GOCCs received their allowances on March 13, while those from PGH received theirs on February 22, and the DOH-retained hospital received theirs earlier in the second week of February.

The AHW hailed this development as a significant victory for the dedicated individuals who have been at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

AHW said these allowances, which were promised but previously unpaid, serve as recognition of the sacrifices made by health workers who risked their lives to provide care and support to patients.

The AHW congratulated the unions, health workers, and other organizations that tirelessly advocated for the release of these allowances.

It also highlighted that its unity, collective action, and unwavering determination compelled the DOH, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the Marcos Jr. government to honor their commitment.

However, the fight for fair compensation is far from over, according to AHW.

The HEA for health workers in private and LGU hospitals remained “unreleased,” highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the broader healthcare community.

But health workers in private hospitals are still waiting. Surely the money will be released...sometime.

Four years ago the pandemic struck and the government shut down everything and basically forced everyone to stay home. Here are five trends from that time.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/561528/five-pandemic-trends-in-the-philippines

Have you been seeing the post online saying, “This week was the last normal days of our lives?”

Ever wonder why? It was in mid-March in the year 2020 when the world paused and started a new way of living during the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, which took the lives of many across the globe.

While most of us were settling in just fine in the comforts of our homes, some were looking for things to do to make good use of the stored energy while staying safe at home.

Buckle up and try not to relieve the moments but revisit some of the most trending things that happened during the pandemic here in the Philippines.

Dalgona coffee

Let’s start with something simple. This trending coffee took the world by storm and has gotten everyone whipping their arms out just to get the best consistency for this whipped coffee. With just three ingredients, instant coffee, sugar, and water, you get to join in the fun. But, to be honest, did you love the taste of this coffee?

Plantito/Plantita Era

At some point, almost all the households in the country were filled with snake plants, monstera, orchids, and all sorts of plants that they found online. It was when houses and condos were becoming too small all thanks to the plants that were occupying the place. People were selling plants with INSANE prices and what’s more insane about this one, people were also buying them.

Now, we are just left to wonder if those plants are still around now.

Zoom zoomed to popularity

Everything was virtually done, thus, Zoom led the way to make working from home bearable for many. Family gatherings were also made possible because of this tool.

From picking out fancy backgrounds during huddles to sharing the screen to your friends and family to watch movies together, pandemic style.

TikTok dances

#savagechallenge was such a big hit and we see it all the time in our For You Pages. This is just one of the many dance challenges that took off during the pandemic. But in the Philippines, this TikTok dance challenge takes center stage, #marikitdancechallenge.

Do you still remember the steps to these TikTok dance challenges? If not, is this your sign to practice them again?

Online exercises

Virtual runs were big during the pandemic. Online workout challenges from companies peaked, and people started getting into an active lifestyle by doing yoga, Zumba, and simple exercises at home. When restrictions were starting to loosen up, people got on their bikes and started biking, while others put on their running shoes and started running one kilometer at a time.

Now, that we are back to the so-called “regular life” are you still maintaining that lifestyle?

The pandemic altered not just the way we saw the world, but also something deeper than that. It reminded us of how life is too short, how we should be wise with our time, and how we should always take care of our health.

As we remember how it was four years ago during these times, may we also remember to offer prayers to the lives lost during one of the world’s hardest times in history.

Funny how in this remembrance of things past the writer cannot bring themselves to condemn the government for enforcing the needless and economically devastating lockdowns. Does the writer remember when Duterte issued shoot to kill orders against those refusing to wear face masks?

The Manila Bulletin has also written a glowing remembrance of four years of the pandemic. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/15/philippines-covid-19-journey-4-years-later-1

Like many countries, the Philippines was not immune to the initial shockwaves of the Covid-19 pandemic.

To curb the rising number of infections, one of the Philippine government's first responses was to implement lockdowns, later categorized into "alert levels."

Four years ago, on March 15, 2020, Metro Manila was first placed under an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

On March 17, the strictest quarantine level was implemented in Luzon. Several areas of the country were then subjected to varying degrees of alert levels as the nation continued to grapple with the impacts of the pandemic.

In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally declared that Covid-19 was "no longer a global health emergency."

Two months later, in July 2023, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also lifted the "state of public health emergency" declared due to Covid-19.

While the pandemic exposed weaknesses in the country's healthcare system, the Department of Health (DOH) believed it also paved the way for transformative improvements in healthcare response.

"Moving forward, we have learned our lessons, and we now know better," said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa in a statement issued on March 14.

DOH Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary and Deputy Spokesperson Dr. Albert Domingo also shared significant details about the country's Covid-19 journey during an interview on March 14.

Domingo noted that four years since the Philippines declared the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the average daily nationwide new cases now hover around only 25 to 30.

"In terms of health utilization, our number of occupied beds in percentage," Domingo said. "Whereas before, the highest reached 70 to 74 percent, now it's down to only 11 to 15 percent," he added.

Domingo furthered that the "denominator" of the number of Covid beds has significantly decreased. "Before, there were around 10,000 beds nationwide, but now only about 1,000 beds remain," he said.

In response to inquiries about the Philippines' readiness for future pandemics, Domingo said: "We are very much prepared."

Despite the unprecedented challenges, the Philippines' journey through the Covid-19 pandemic, as reflected in the current changes, can be described as a story of resilience, adaptability, and collective determination."

No mention that the death rate has stayed level at around 1%. No mention of the break down in physical and mental health from being forced to stay inside. 

Filipino tourists arrivals in Hong Kong have breached pre-pandemic levels.

https://www.philstar.com/business/2024/03/16/2340874/january-2024-filipino-tourist-arrivals-hong-kong-breach-pre-pandemic-numbers

Filipino tourist arrivals in Hong Kong, China just surpassed the pre-pandemic numbers for the month of January.

This was revealed by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in a dinner reception on Wednesday.

“The close ties between Hong Kong and the Philippines have been demonstrated by the strong inbound tourist figures,” HKETO Libera Cheng said.

Cheng cited that the tourist from the Philippines contributed 25% increase to the tourism numbers of Hong Kong in January 2024.

According to the data from Hong Kong Tourism Board, the city welcomed 85,878 tourists from the Philippines in January alone. This is a 25% increase from 68,588 Filipino tourists recorded in the same period in 2019, or before the COVID-19 travel restriction was imposed.

Hong Kong only fully reopened its borders in early February last year.

To attract tourists back to their city, Hong Kong launched a giveaway of 500,000 free air tickets for tourists last year. It also offered “Hong Kong Goodies” or visitor consumption vouchers containing a complimentary drink or a cash voucher redeemable at transportation, culinary, retail outlets and attractions.

Jack So, chairman of Airport Authority Hong Kong, last year said that the promotion was eyed to generate a “multiplier effect on boosting air traffic and enormous publicity for Hong Kong.”

I guess that means the pandemic is back to normal for wealthy folks who can afford to travel to Hong Kong?