More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
Despite wanting Marcos to renew the state of emergency so they can procure vaccines the DOH is now eyeing a COVID-19 alert level 0.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/02/15/2245071/doh-eyes-covid-19-alert-level-o |
As things start getting back to normal, the Department of Health (DOH) has entertained the possibility of adopting an Alert Level 0 in the country’s existing alert level system for its COVID-19 response.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said they are looking at reviving talks on imposing an Alert Level 0 with the continued improvement of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
“We are recognizing the fact that we can reach that point that there is no alert level and everything is at that normal stage,” Vergeire said yesterday at a press conference.
It was in March 2022 when the DOH thought of introducing Alert Level 0 as a way to further deescalate from Alert Level 1. The DOH, however, decided to just maintain Alert Level 1 until the end of the Duterte administration.
Based on the latest COVID-19 trend, the DOH noted that all areas have started to show plateauing of cases in recent days, while severe/critical hospital admissions are still on downward trend for several weeks.
“Once we are no longer seeing risks or threats, of course, our alert would be at the lower most level,” said Vergeire.
She noted though, that having an Alert Level 0 should not mean that there is no more need for any health protocols or safeguards because the transmission of COVID-19 and its variants and subvariants remains possible.
Alert level 0? What's the point if there is no threat? Why have an alert level when there is nothing for which to be alert?
Pasay City has received an award for ensuring road user safety during the pandemic.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1730189/pasay-city-gets-award-for-ensuring-road-user-safety-during-pandemic |
The Pasay City government received an award for guaranteeing “road user” safety during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines.
The local government on Wednesday announced that Pasay City bagged the Magiting na Lingkod Award from the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (IACT).
“We should keep moving forward and towards our everyday goals. All of us made a big part of something larger than ourselves. We did not let the global pandemic stop us,” Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano said in her message relayed by her chief of staff Peter Eric Pardo.“Through your dedication, perseverance, strong presence, and resilience, this recognition showed our unity and kind-hearted citizens of our beloved city,” she added.
Pardo received the award, on behalf of the mayor, at the MAAX Auditorium in the SM Mall of Asia Complex on Monday, February 13. Charlie Apolinario Del Rosario, IACT chief, presented the award.
The IACT acknowledged the city’s performance and invaluable contribution amid the COVID-19 pandemic in ensuring the safety and security of Filipino road users.
Rubiano shared her recognition with her constituents and Pasay City officials – from the barangay level to the highest in command.
It is not clear exactly how Pasay City ensured road user safety during the pandemic but it might have to do with everyone being required to stay at home plus the many road blocks. But if that is the case then the entire nation should receive such an award.
The DOH is talking about alert level 0 but Senator Bong Go says we must be alert against the variant known as "Kraken."
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/02/17/bong-go-urges-pinoys-to-be-vigilant-vs-covid-19-variant-kraken/ |
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has renewed his call for fellow Filipinos to be vigilant and to strictly adhere to the government’s minimum health protocols following the discovery of a new Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, also known as “Kraken,” in the country.
The Department of Health (DOH), last week, said it is now keeping an eye on the said “Kraken” subvariant, after it detected two new cases of Omicron in the Philippines, raising the tally to three.
Go, head of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, reiterated the importance of being vigilant and being inoculated against Covid-19.
“Right now, it has been reported that the so-called Kraken is a new variant, it has been reported through WHO that a new variant of COVID-19 has been discovered, this is XBB.1.5 (and it) is the most transmissible so far. But it doesn’t cause severe illness so far,” Go said.
“For me, I urge you to get vaccinated because vaccination is the only solution so that we can return to normal life and you are more protected when vaccinated,” he said.
“And if you are already qualified for the booster, get a booster because that is our protection. Let’s fight the vaccine against COVID-19. So whether this variant is transmissible, it is important that we are vaccinated, we are better protected,” he stressed.
The Philippines and South Korea are the only countries in Asia so far that has officially announced domestic cases of “Kraken.”
Who knew "Release the Kraken!" was a real thing? The pandemic has sure changed the world. But there is nothing to worry about with this variant or any of the other new variants.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/02/17/2245485/xbf-subvariant-unlikely-cause-covid-19-surge |
The new Omicron subvariant XBF is not expected to cause a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvaña said at the Laging Handa public briefing yesterday.
“Hopefully, there will be no increase in our (COVID-19) cases especially because of the country’s high vaccine coverage now. We will be monitoring this... It looks like we are protected against severe diseases because of our vaccines,” Salvaña said.
The expert still advised the public to continuously comply with the minimum health protocols like wearing masks to avoid the virus.
He also encouraged the public to update their respective vaccination status by getting booster doses.“If we want additional protection, continue to wear masks and get the bivalent vaccines, once it becomes available, especially for the most vulnerable population,” Salvaña added.
The health expert likewise stressed the importance of using all the layers of protection available to avoid a surge in COVID cases.
Earlier, the Department of Health (DOH) reported the country’s first case of Omicron subvariant XBF.
Is it unlikely to cause a surge because people have been vaccinated or because it is not highly transmissible? Either way there is no hint that if there is a surge deaths will increase.
The University of the Philippines has resumed the oblation run after a 3-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1731559/up-oblation-run-resumes-after-a-3-year-hiatus |
After a three-year halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oblation Run returned to the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman on Friday with the theme “Sama-sama tayong babaon muli,” which derives from a wordplay on President Marcos’ slogan “Babangon Muli,” demanding accountability from the government. Around 15 members of the Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity (APO) ran naked around the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Hall with masks concealing their identities while carrying protest placards.
“It seems like the new regime of Bongbong Marcos Jr. is a sequel to the Marcos Sr. regime: the inflation of basic needs, weakening of peso versus dollar and the rising foreign debts,” the fraternity said in a statement.
A group of fraternity brothers running around campus naked carrying protest placards is not going to help the economy but it's a sign of a return to normality I guess.
An accouting of just how much the government spent on COVID-19 vaccines has yet to manifest.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1195603 |
Senator Francis Escudero on Monday called for a full blown audit of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine expenditures saying the public has the right to know all pandemic-era vaccine purchases.
Escudero noted that the total amount spent could not be determined as he also doubts if the so-called “non-disclosure agreement” (NDA) that the government had signed with vaccine manufacturers prior to the sale could be used as an excuse to hide procurement details.
“The NDA goes against Section 6 (the transparency clause) of Republic Act 11525 or the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, which requires the publication of the approved budget of contract and the amount of contract awarded on vaccine purchases,” he said.
"Millions of vaccine shots have unfortunately expired. But what does not go stale is the responsibility to disclose the details of the billions spent for them," Escudero said. "The vaccines do not carry an immunity from accountability."
He describe the NDA as a “new breed of an excuse” to evade accountability "and it should be stopped."
As such, the Bicolano senator urged the Commission on Audit (COA) to subpoena documents and the Department of Health (DOH) and other agencies served to comply.
It was reported that out of the 245 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines that the government had bought or received for free, some 44 million had expired by end of 2022.
“Until now, there are no price list of Sinovac, Moderna, Pfizer and other vaccines. And yet, we fine small grocery stores for not complying with the price tag law. Stores who don’t have price tags of sardines, were fined, but in the case of vaccines, no actions taken," Escudero said.
Given how corrupt the Philippine government is the amount spent will likley not be shocking.
COVID cases are down.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1195663 |
The country’s daily average of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases decreased by 19 percent from Feb. 13 to 19, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday.
In the latest DOH case bulletin, daily infections decreased to 128 in the recent week from 157 infections from Feb. 6 to 12.
The DOH also reported 895 new cases and 74 verified deaths.
Of the additional deaths, four occurred from Feb. 6 to 19.
To date, the country has logged over 4.07 million coronavirus cases and more than 66,021 fatalities.
In the past three years only 4 million people out of a population of 110 million have been infected and pnly 66,000 people have died. Those numbers are abysmally low for a virus that they want us to fear,
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