Coronavirus Lockdown: No COVID-19 Deaths for 2 Months, DOH Wary of Surge, and more!

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

Despite active COVID-19 cases continuing to dwindle face masks will still be mandated for at least three more months according to one expert. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/831307/mask-mandate-likely-lifted-in-3-months-time-health-expert/story/

The face mask mandate will most likely be unnecessary if the number of daily COVID-19 cases in the Philippines drops to less than 200 in the next three months, an expert in infectious diseases said Wednesday.

But Dr. Rontgene Solante still pointed out the importance of face mask in preventing the spread of COVID-19, especially the highly contagious Omicron variant.

"And we experienced that we quickly controlled Omicron because of the way we wear the face mask," Solante said at the Laging Handa briefing.

“I think it’s still a bit long. Let’s see in the next two to three months if the number of cases really continues to drop-like less than two hundred-most likely we won’t need a face mask [mandate] anymore, ”he added.

With all the hysteria being pushed by the DOH about the virus it is likely the face mask mandate will be enforced for much longer. And it is hysteria. The recovery rates prove the government is continuing to make much ado about nothing.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174410

This city has registered a 95.6 percent coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) recovery rate since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the City Health Office (CHO) said Friday.

Data released by the CHO showed this city recorded 27,881 recoveries to date.

Of the total recoveries, 26,310 are community-related; 416, detainees; 379, locally stranded individuals; 361, authorized persons outside residence; 217, persons deprived of liberty; 89, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology personnel; 72, Bureau of Corrections; 33, returning overseas Filipinos; and, four, returning residents from Malaysia.

Currently, the city has 22 Covid-19 active cases, which according to the CHO, were all acquired through community transmission.

Of the active cases, 44.4 percent are asymptomatic, another 44.4 percent with mild symptoms, and the remaining 11.2 percent manifest moderate symptoms.

The Covid-19 related deaths stood at 1,236 deaths.

The death rate has never been high enough to justify all the extreme measures taken in the name of fighting the virus. 

There are still a number of Filipinos who have not been vaccinated. The City of Davao is offering a free kilogram of rice to those who decide to get injected.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1928965/davao/local-news/davao-city-to-give-1-kilogram-rice-to-those-who-will-get-vaccinated-vs-covid-19

DABAWENYOS who will get their vaccination against Covid-19 will receive a rice subsidy from the City Government, according to Davao City Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser.

In a radio interview on Friday, May 13, Schlosser clarified that those eligible for the rice subsidy are the general public from five to 18 years old and above.

It is also applicable to any vaccine doses, from first dose, second dose, to first booster and second booster dose in all vaccination hubs, whether pediatric or the regular vaccine hubs.

“Naga hatag gyod ta (We are giving) incentives because we wanted to invite them. We want na pag ma-invite sila, ma-educate nato sila and ma-spread nila ang benefits sa bakuna (Once we invite them, we can educate them about the vaccine and in turn, they can tell people about its benefits),” Schlosser said.

Beneficiaries will receive one kilo of rice each, regardless of age or if they belong to the same family or household that has already received a subsidy.

Schlosser said everyone who has yet to get administered with any of the vaccine doses is eligible and entitled to the rice subsidy provided by the city government.

Who knows but a whole kilo of rice might just be enough to persuade people to get vaccinated.

Omicron and its variants have been detected in the country and this has spooked the DOH.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1597719/doh-wary-of-omicron-variant-surge

COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations may peak at higher levels, compared to the Delta and Omicron surges, but the Department of Health (DOH) remained cautious in announcing a local transmission of the new Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 found in two Filipinos without travel history outside the country.

Based on DOH’s projections, the seven-day moving average may reach as high as 7,702 cases and hospital occupancy may go up to 5,512 nationwide in July this year if the variant enters the country.

During the Delta surge in September last year, the one-week average peaked at 5,926 and admissions rose to 4,413.

Intensive care utilization, meanwhile, is seen to jump by more than 70 percent to 1,124 in July this year from the Omicron peak in January when 652 were admitted on a single day.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Omicron sublineage BA.2.12.1 detected in 14 individuals in Metro Manila and Palawan was found to “most likely exhibit immune evasion,” citing preliminary studies.

The DOH has since reported local transmission of the variant but it remains to be seen what will be the results. Likely the status quo won't change as no variant of COVID-19 has caused a wave of deaths. In fact there have not been any COVID related deaths in Dumaguete City for the past two months.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174613

No deaths related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) were reported in this capital city of Negros Oriental for almost two months already.

The City Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) records showed that the last known Covid-19-related death was of a 94-year-old unvaccinated individual with comorbidities, a media release on Monday evening said.

Dr. Maria Sarah Talla, City Health Officer, said that for about 25 days now, the city’s 30 barangays reported zero cases of Covid-19.

Millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses have expired but COVAX says they will see to it that they are replaced.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174460

The COVAX Facility has offered to replace with fresh ones expiring coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines, both donated and procured by the government, the Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said negotiations are underway to replace expiring vaccines with COVAX-donated shots.

"(There's a verbal commitment from COVAX that they can replace not only those that they have donated but also doses we procured and are set to expire)," she said in a “Laging Handa” briefing.

Vergeire said the DOH had complied with the requests made by COVAX, including the use of a "demand forecasting tool" to show the actual number of vaccines in the stockpiles and the doses Manila would still need in the coming months.

"(We're just waiting for their response but they already set a meeting with us by next week)," she said.

The DOH earlier said about 3.6 million coronavirus vaccine doses donated to the Philippines have expired.

COVAX is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.

Lanao del Sur has enacted its own no vax, no travel policy to encourage the unvaccinated to get the shot.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174511

Authorities have started a “no vaccination, no travel” policy in Lanao del Sur as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) began Monday its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) special vaccination days (SVDs).

“This is for the protection of everybody. I hope people will cooperate because anywhere you go, a vaccination card is required,” Dr. Alinader Minalang, Lanao del Sur provincial health officer, said in an interview.

Minalang said the initiative is to help convince unvaccinated Maranaos to avail of the health services.

“If you still do not cooperate or submit yourselves for vaccination, that is your right. You may skip vaccination in Lanao del Sur but when you go to Davao or Cagayan de Oro, vaccination is required so what do you do?” he said.

If not getting vaccinated is one's right then the government should not be making it difficult for the unvaccinated go about their daily lives.