More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
There has still been no extension of the state of calamity which means the DOH has hit a roadblock in attempting procure bivalent vaccines.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1717952/bivalent-vax-purchase-hit-roadblock-as-covid-19-state-of-calamity-in-ph-not-extended |
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said the process of procuring COVID-19 bivalent vaccines hit a “roadblock” as the government decided to not extend the coronavirus-induced state of calamity edict.
Bivalent vaccines are a type of vaccine that targets specific variants of COVID-19 such as the more transmissible Omicron.
"Our negotiation in terms of bivalent vaccines continues. We just need to thoroughly study this process because we have only met a roadblock in this state of calamity that was not extended," DOH officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire disclosed during an interview over TeleRadyo’s program Sakto.
According to Vergeire, the non-extension of the state of calamity declaration means the DOH now has to revert to the usual process of procurement – which takes longer because the DOH is no longer eligible to make emergency procurement.
"Because the usual process of procurement under Republic Act 9184 is not as fast as emergency procurement, which we were able to do when we have a state of calamity," Vergeire explained.
Nevertheless, Vergeire assured the public that while negotiations continue, they are also looking for ways to make the country’s acquisition of bivalent vaccines faster.
But why even attempt to obtain these vaccines when they are linked to strokes?
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/17/doh-on-pfizer-covid-19-bivalent-shots-possible-link-to-stroke-vaccines-always-have-a-risk/ |
Any vaccine or health technology will always have a health risk attached to it, an official from the Department of Health (DOH) stated on Tuesday, Jan. 17 as United States (US) authorities are bound to investigate drugmaker Pfizer’s Covid-19 bivalent vaccine and its possible link to a type of brain stroke in older adults.
Currently, DOH, according to the agency’s Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire is still having discussions with vaccine manufacturers for the procurement of bivalent vaccines.
Vergeire also mentioned that the totality of the report does not conclude and indicated that those who have received Covid-19 bivalent vaccines will have a stroke.
“Ang sinabi lang diyan sa study na yan, the risk would be there,” she added.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated in a report that following the availability and use of the updated COVID-19 vaccines, CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), a near real-time surveillance system, met the statistical criteria to prompt additional investigation into whether there was a safety concern for ischemic stroke in people ages 65 and older.
“Although the totality of the data currently suggests that it is very unlikely that the signal in VSD represents a true clinical risk, we believe it is important to share this information with the public, as we have in the past,” it added.
The report does not indicate those who receive the vaccines WILL have a stroke but only there is a risk?? Why is the DOH downplaying the risk of having a stroke? Who benefits from this potentially death drug? Not the people.
Not only is the economy back on track post-pandemic but now so is the Church. Specifically, the receiving of communion.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1193125 |
The Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan has restored the giving of communion to the faithful through the tongue.
In a circular containing "liturgical guidelines" issued on Thursday, Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the measure which was suspended for nearly three years due to the coronavirus pandemic has been restored.
He also asked the public to put down their face masks when they fall in line to receive communion or at least before facing the ministers giving these.
“This is to insure that both hands are totally free to receive the Body of Christ. The incidents of accidentally dropping the Host on the floor have become frequent due to the double preoccupation of the hands with the Host and the face mask at the time of reception,” he added.
At the same time, the Mass presider, lectors and commentators are no longer required to wear face masks when proclaiming the Word of God or reading the intercession during the Mass.
He also allowed Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to receive the Host before giving Holy Communion to the churchgoers, which was a pre-pandemic practice.
“They must receive the ciborium from the priest and not take the vessels with the Hosts by themselves,” Villegas added.
He said the guidelines are in consonance with the “wise counsel” of experts in moral theology and liturgy and those in the health sectors.
But parishioners must still wear their face masks.
Vaccination rates are so low that the public is being reminded they are still available for free.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1193264 |
The top health official of Negros Oriental province has reminded the public that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines and booster shots are still available for free.
Dr. Liland Estacion, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Health Office (PHO), told the Philippine News Agency on Saturday the vaccination rollout has slowed down and people are no longer mindful of the follow-up doses now that pre-pandemic routines have resumed.
The number of fully vaccinated in the province has not reached the targeted 70 percent
As of Jan. 17, PHO data showed only 58 percent have full doses against Covid-19, including those who availed of one-shot jabs -- or 662,644 of the target 1,148,424.
Among those with complete doses are 248 children aged 5 to 11, which Estacion hopes will increase as in-person classes have already resumed.
“It is sad to see that people have already stopped coming to the designated vaccination centers in the different local government units as well as in other designated sites in Dumaguete,” she said.
Regular vaccination in private establishments, such as a department store and a business process outsourcing firm here, is still conducted regularly.
She warned that Covid-19 is still “in our midst and with new Omicron sub-variants being reported elsewhere, we can never tell if the cases will rise again.”
As of Jan. 18, Negros Oriental has 14 active Covid-19 cases.
COVID-19 may be still "in our midst" but the number of new cases is declining.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1719786/fwd-octa-metro-manilas-covid-19-positivity-rate-further-declines-to-2-4 |
The seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate in Metro Manila has further decreased to 2.4%, independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research Group said Monday.
OCTA fellow Guido David said the positivity rate in the metropolis dropped to 2.4% on Jan. 21 from the 3.7% on Jan. 14.
“NCR positivity rate decreased from 3.7% to 2.4% as of Jan 21, 2023. No province in Luzon had an increase in positivity rate. Many provinces have [a] LOW positivity rate (less than 5%),” David said in a Twitter post.
The Ilocos region has also seen a drop in cases.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1720103/ilocos-region-sees-drop-in-weekly-covid-19-cases |
Fewer COVID-19 cases were reported in the Ilocos region between January 15 and 21, with 57 individuals infected with the disease, according to the regional Department of Health (DOH) on Jan. 23, Monday.
The regional DOH said that the new infections translated to an average daily case count of eight, or 44.1 percent lower than the cases logged the previous week.
Out of the 57 cases, at least one was tagged as severe and critical, the regional DOH said.
Health authorities also verified one death due to the virus during the same period.
Active cases in Quezon have also declined.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1720116/active-covid-19-cases-in-quezon-province-down-to-25 |
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Quezon province dropped to 25 after tallying 65 on Jan. 1.
In its latest bulletin, the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) at 5 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 22) reported only two new COVID-19 cases in Mauban town.
The report did not provide further details about the new cases.
As of Sunday, 23 of the 41 municipalities in the province no longer have any recorded COVID-19 cases. Those previously infected in the localities have either recovered or died.
But out of the 23 towns, at least 13 have only one active case each.
Taguig City has recorded only one new case.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/24/taguig-lgu-lists-only-1-covid-19-case-in-past-week/ |
The Taguig City government tallied only one new Covid-19 case in the past week as its classification remained at low risk.
Data from Jan. 16 to 22 showed the city government recorded one new Covid-19 case, two deaths, and 44 patients who have recovered.
But instead of celebrating these numbers they want to keep pushing the vaccine on the public.
The DOT thinks an influx of Chinese tourists will speed up economic recovery.
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| https://globalnation.inquirer.net/209995/ph-welcomes-chinese-tourists-sees-faster-tourism-recovery |
The Philippines welcomed around 190 Chinese tourists on Tuesday, celebrating the Chinese New Year.
With this, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is expecting a quicker tourism recovery with the volume of Chinese travelers.
“The arrival of Chinese tourists to the Philippines signals a very auspicious start to the New Year and indicates a positive result of President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s state visit to China to further the relations between our countries,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in a statement.
“We anticipate even more Chinese tourists to arrive, which will greatly help us in our efforts to transform and to recover the tourism industry as our intention is not only to regain our pre-pandemic numbers but to exceed it knowing how the relationship between the Philippines and China will only further improve in the years to come with the stance of both our governments,” she continued.
The Chinese tourists were aboard Xiamen Airlines flight MF819. They arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at 4:55 p.m.
Frasco, Huang, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Cesar Chiong, and Xiamen Air General Manager of Manila Office Yan Tan welcomed the travelers.
Leis and gifts were given to the visitors.
Hopefully the arrival of these passengers does not signal the beginning of a new surge. Even if it does it's not as if people will start dying in droves as that has never been the case in the past three years.
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