More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1736885/doh-adviser-bivalent-vaccines-to-give-higher-protection-vs-severe-covid-19 |
Bivalent coronavirus vaccines from the global COVAX facility would give locals, especially the vulnerable population, “higher” protection against the severe effects of COVID-19, an infectious disease expert and adviser of the Department of Health (DOH) said.
Dr. Rontgene Solante, chair of San Lazaro Hospital’s adult infectious diseases and tropical medicine unit and a DOH expert panel member, said these vaccines would provide “longer and broader” protection against the severe COVID-19 symptoms “for a longer time.”
(Based on proven data, this new bivalent vaccine will protect us from most of the subvariant of Omicron, such as from the BA.1, BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5, including what we call the XBB.1, XBB.5, which has also been reported here in the Philippines.)
On Tuesday, the DOH disclosed that the first batch of the donated bivalent vaccines is set to arrive in the country in three to four weeks after the Food and Drug Administration has allowed the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
How doe they even know this when long term studies have not been carried out?
Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue officials say not many residents are getting vaccinated.
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| https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1955128/cebu/local-news/only-a-few-people-in-lapu-mandaue-go-to-get-vaxxed-vs-covid-says-health-officials |
HEALTH officials in the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue said only a few people are flocking to their vaccination sites to get inoculated against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).In Lapu-Lapu City, health officials there said the number of individuals who got vaccinated against Covid-19 has been decreasing since the fourth quarter of last year.Mae Cheryll Tepait, a staff member of the Lapu-Lapu City Vaccination Operation Center and is in charge of vaccination at the City Health Office, told SunStar Cebu Thursday, March 2, 2023, that less than 100 individuals per day have been inoculated against Covid-19 since then.Tepait said this may be due to the low number of active cases in the city with only five currently reported to them as of Wednesday, March 1.Despite that, Tepait said they still continue their vaccination in barangay health centers as well as in their one remaining vaccination site in Mactan Newtown.
Maybe everyone has gotten the shot already? Maybe they realize that the vaccine is worthless? But with no increase in cases or deaths, why does it matter?
The Philippines is hoping tourism will boost the economy and aid in the recovery from the pandemic. But is the Philippines ready for an influx of tourists?
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| https://business.inquirer.net/389464/leaving-on-a-jet-plane-travelers-bags-are-packed-but-is-ph-ready-for-them |
As travelers pack their luggage for their next trip, local airlines are also preparing to spread their wings. Hotels, meanwhile, are welcoming more guests as the tourism sector claws its way back to prepandemic vibrancy.
The runway has become busier now after years of mobility restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Passengers’ confidence toward travel has also returned—and heavier traffic is expected at airports moving forward as travelers take advantage of the further reopening of international borders.
“We carried close to 10 million passengers in 2022 and are expecting growth from market recovery and incremental capacity,” Cielo Villaluna, spokesperson for Philippine Airline (PAL), tells the Inquirer.
Steve Dailisan, head of communications and public affairs of AirAsia Philippines, says the budget carrier is looking at doubling the 4.178 million guests it flew in the past year.
“A big factor for this is the opening of international borders for leisure travel and the public’s positive sentiments on revenge travel,” he tells the Inquirer.
The increasing mobility is boding well for the tourism sector, including the hospitality industry.
“Aside from the domestic tourism push, we see the influx of more international tourists boosting tourism receipts, hotel rates, and occupancies,” says Joey Roi Bondoc, research director at property consultancy firm Colliers.
The Department of Tourism projects foreign tourist arrivals to reach 4.8 million this year with the return of travel confidence and easing of mobile restrictions. Last year, it reached 2.7 million, beating the government’s 1.7 million target.
Any tourists who do arrive will no longer face vaccine requirement restrictions or be faced to wear face mask.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/863052/dot-lifts-face-mask-vaccination-policies-in-tourist-spots/story/ |
Wearing of face masks and showing proof of full COVID-19 vaccination in tourist spots are no longer required based on the recent memorandum issued by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The agency said that these eased health and safety guidelines in the tourism establishments are part of the measures to support the national government’s liberalization of the COVID-19 restrictions in the country, and would therefore boost the further opening of the country to tourists and travelers.
Currently, wearing of face masks both in indoor and outdoor settings in the country is voluntary, based on the executive order released by Malacañang in October last year.
The DOT Memorandum Circular 2023-0002 also lifted the earlier requirement for tourism establishments to install plastic, acrylic barriers, and dividers in designated areas.
It also ordered for the removal of signages, visual cues, and other installations on mandatory protocols.
The DOT also announced that it will no longer issue the Philippine Safety Seal and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp to tourism enterprises found compliant to guidelines set in accordance with Joint Memorandum Circular No. 21-01 issued by the DOT and other national government agencies on the Safety Seal Certification Program, and Memorandum Circular 2022-003, respectively.
Additionally, accommodation establishments no longer need to include the number, nature of work, and length of stay of permitted guests, as well as names of companies or businesses with employees that are booked with the establishment, when submitting monthly reports to the DOT’s Regional Offices.
“This latest issuance on the relaxed health and safety guidelines for tourism establishments reinforces the Department of Tourism’s commitment towards addressing the economic hardships of the tourism industry brought about by the lockdowns and restrictions of the pandemic,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in a statement.
“It sends the important message that, under the Marcos Administration, our country is open for tourism, and that we are keeping up with global practices on tourism operations that have already opened up worldwide.”
It's past time these restrictions in tourist places were abolished.
The DOH says the daily average of COVID cases is up 10%.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1196748 |
The country’s daily average of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases increased by 10 percent from Feb. 27 to March 5, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday.
In the latest DOH case bulletin, daily infections increased to 130 in the recent week from 119 infections from Feb. 20 to 26.
From Feb. 27 to March 5, the DOH also reported 913 new cases and 56 verified deaths.
Of the additional deaths, six occurred from Feb. 20 to March 5.
To date, the country has logged over 4.08 million coronavirus cases and more than 66,153 fatalities.
But who cares because these uptick is not significant at all.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/03/07/no-significant-increase-in-covid-19-cases-in-ph-doh/ |
There is no significant increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) said.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that cases in the country and in the National Capital Region remain manageable.
On Monday, March 6, the DOH reported that the average number of daily cases for the period of Feb. 27 to March 5 was 10 percent higher than the cases on Feb. 20 to Feb. 26.
“This is not significant if we try to compare that for our weekly average number of cases,” she said during a press briefing on Tuesday, March 7.
“We can say that everything is manageable, our hospitals are being able to manage our cases,” she added.
The number of new Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila is decreasing, said DOH-NCR Director Aleli Sudiacal.
“Lahat ng (All) NCR LGUs [local government units] have decreasing rates. In fact, some of them, or about a third of them have not been reporting any case,” she said.
Does this mean we can officially announce that the pandemic is over?
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