More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The Philippines on Wednesday joined the international community in its initiative to provide free and universal access to quality jabs against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and other vaccine-preventable diseases.During the 2nd Vaccine Cooperation Forum in the Indo-Pacific Region, Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-de Vega said the Covid-19 pandemic taught countries a lot of lessons and gave the Philippines the opportune time to engage with its partners in the region and worldwide.
"And these are on the best practices for health management, data-driven governance and smart governance, for our health system and hopefully, we could take away some inputs, which we can use, which we can modify, depending on the needs of our public citizens in the Philippines," she said.
The very first person in the world to administer a COVID-19 jab was a Filipina nurse in the United Kingdom. She is now being honored in the Philippines.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1190330 |
Senators Imee Marcos and Grace Poe on Wednesday highlighted the pride and honor brought by May Parsons, the Filipina nurse who received the George Cross Award in the United Kingdom for being the one to administer the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
Marcos, who sponsored Senate Resolution No. 230, said the prestigious George Cross Award from Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness then Prince Charles, was given to Parsons for her courage, compassion, dedication, and bravery in the face of grave and mortal danger.
"It is yet another highlight in the extraordinary history of Filipino nursing and May today stands proudly in the llocana tradition of her mother Zenaida and Philippine Nursing's founder Anastacia Geron Tupas from 1922," she said in her sponsorship speech.
Born and raised in Pasay City, Parsons graduated from Jose Abad Santos Highschool and finished her nursing degree at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
Meanwhile, Poe said that Filipino nurses, as heroes of the country’s healthcare system even before the pandemic, deserve not only praise but also higher perks and pay.
Poe made the call as she commended Parsons in a separate resolution (No. 347) which also reaffirms the role of Filipino nurses in the global healthcare scene.
“Nurse May is a real inspiration for the whole nursing profession. Like her peers in the health sector, her commitment to saving lives, delivering the best care possible, and creating a better and healthier future is truly commendable and worth these recognitions,” Poe said in her speech.
The lawmaker said her resolution should not only be about recognition and commendation for Parsons from the government.
“Hindi lang dapat bragging rights ang ambag ng gobyerno dito (The government should not only contribute bragging rights). Our nurses can only do these heroic sacrifices to the extent that they are taken care of. We need to resuscitate our nursing profession,” Poe said.
“We should give back not just in terms of recognition but also in terms of actual benefits to make the nursing practice a genuine livable career for practitioners. Upgrading the minimum salary of nurses is the least that we can do for the sacrifice they gave in nursing us all back to health,” she added.
Parsons left after three years of working at the UST hospital to join the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. She has since been with the University Hospital’s Coventry and Warwickshire and is presently a Modern Matron for Respiratory Services.
Britain was the first country to start a COVID vaccination program so if this lady had not fled the Philippines for greener pastures it might have been some other Filipina who administered the first dose of the experimental and sometimes deadly COVID vaccine. Funny to note that Senator Grace Poe admits nursing is not a livable career in the Philippines! No wonder they all want to leave.
The economy is opening but you know what would really open up the economy even further? If the public got booster shots.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/11/go-covid-19-vaccination-booster-will-hasten-ph-economic-recovery/ |
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said that while the unemployment rate in the Philippines is now decreasing, the government should still pursue its COVID-19 vaccination program in order to hasten the country’s economic recovery.
Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography said the higher vaccination rates resulted to more relaxed health protocols and eventually opened up more sectors of the domestic economy and bringing in more employment opportunities.
The senator said the gradual reopening of the economy has led to the creation of jobs for Filipinos, which in turn has reduced the unemployment rate.
“I’m happy that the number of unemployed has decreased, we are now returning to normal,” said Go during a recent interview in Malvar, Batangas.
“Because this is part of our vaccination program, what former president Duterte did to gradually open the economy… when vaccinated, we are more protected, we can return to our normal lives,” the senator said.
“When the economy opens up, investors will come in, businesses will come in again and go back to work. That means, businesses will open and our livelihoods will restart ,” said Go.
A report recently released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the unemployment rate in the country dropped from 5 percent in September of this year to 4.5 percent in October of 2022.
“That’s why I am calling on our countrymen to get vaccinated, when you are qualified for booster shots. Don’t waste the opportunity,” he urged.
Does that mean the high inflation rate will go down once every one is vaccinated? Never mind the fact that vaccines do not prevent transmission or infection.
The DILG thinks it's about time LGUs can decide on which health restrictions to implement based on the alert level system.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/11/dilg-studying-proposal-to-decouple-restrictions-from-covid-19-alert-levels-doh/ |
The government’s pandemic task force instructed the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to further study the proposal on decoupling restrictions from the Covid-19 alert level system.
This was discussed during the recent Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) meeting, said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire.
“As to the decoupling of restrictions…the DILG was instructed by the collegial body to study further if local governments really [have] that capacity to assess their respective areas and of course, to implement the restrictions on their own based on the risk level for each of their areas,” she said in a recent press briefing.
“So we’d like to decouple these restrictions from this Alert Level System wherein the Alert Level system will be used just like the PAGASA storm signals in order to inform you like ‘oh we’re on signal 4 now’- and so that families and communities know what to do. There is no need for restrictions to be tied to the Alert Level system,” she then said.
Since most areas are on alert level one which comes with hardly any restrictions this system is pointless now.
Christmas party season is here and Davao is bracing for a possible COVID surge.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1190564 |
The Davao City Covid-19 Task Force is bracing for the possible surge of Covid-19 cases due to gatherings during the Yuletide season.
In a radio interview Monday, task force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said Dabawenyos should not be complacent despite the low cases recorded in the past weeks since there are still Covid-19 deaths included in the list.
“We are preparing, bracing for the yuletide season. There are a lot of gatherings, parties, and activities that people go to,” she said, reiterating that Dabawenyos should understand that the only way to combat Covid-19 is through vaccination and booster shots.
She noted that it is still quite alarming to have Covid-19 deaths amid the city’s low Covid-19 cases.
From Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, the city managed to keep a low positivity rate but recorded six deaths.
Two of the six individuals who died of Covid-19 were unvaccinated while the four vaccinated deaths did not receive any booster shots.
Schlosser said free vaccinations are available daily from Mondays to Fridays at district and barangay health centers and at the People’s Park during weekends.
She added they are now more focused on preventing Covid-19 deaths, although they continue to monitor the number of active Covid-19 cases.
“Getting vaccinated and boosted is a gift for yourself and your loved ones. It will give us a good battle against Covid-19 and protect us from death,” she said.
Four deaths were from vaccinated people. See how they vaccine offers no protection? But wait they weren't boosted. Surely if they just had that extra boost they would not have died right? Right?
In Antique students will need their parents' permission to attend school Christmas parties and it will be up to the schools as to how they implement health protocols.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1190584 |
All schools under the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Antique are to strictly observe the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health protocol as they hold their Christmas parties this week.
Antique Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Adonis Mosquera, in an interview on Monday, said schools have to follow the guidelines set by the regional office of DepEd.
“School heads are being empowered, based on their judgment, on how to implement the strict Covid-19 health protocol,” Mosquera said, referring to DepEd Order No. 52 and Memorandum 929 issued by the regional office.
Mosquera was particularly referring to a prohibition in the order that parents must have to sign a consent first, agreeing that they allow their children to attend the party due to the threat of the coronavirus disease.
“Learners have to secure their parents’ consent if they would like to join the party,” the official said, adding that they have printed forms that learners could secure for their parents to sign.
If the virus is such a threat why not just ban all parties?
It's the end of the year and still no official DOH Secretary.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1704887/vergeire-to-remain-acting-doh-chief |
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire will stay onboard as the officer in charge (OIC) of the Department of Health (DOH) even after the end of the month as her appointment is not covered by the memorandum circulars issued by the Office of the President (OP).
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Vergeire clarified that she was “not affected” by the first three memos released by the OP in relation to appointments of OIC in departments and agencies in the executive branch where no successor has been named because she was a career executive. Under the latest memorandum circular, OICs as well as noncareer executive officials (Ceso) occupying Ceso posts “in holdover capacity” are ordered to “perform their duties” and “discharge their functions” by Dec. 31, 2022, or until a replacement has been designated. A career health official, Vergeire had been at the DOH for almost three decades.
Looks like it will be that way for quite some time.
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