More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is lifting the COVID-19 public health emergency nationwide.
On Friday, July 21, Marcos issued Proclamation No. 297, effectively removing the country’s emergency status due to the pandemic but continued the “all emergency use authorization” issued by government regulators for another year to allow the utilization of all remaining vaccines.
The presidential directive explained that although the virus remains to be a “serious concern,” the country has maintained “sufficient healthcare system capacity” and “low hospital bed utilization rates” despite the easing of COVID-19 health protocols.“All prior orders, memoranda, and issuances that are effective only during the State of Public Health Emergency shall be deemed withdrawn, revoked or canceled and shall no longer be in effect,” Marcos’ Proclamation No. 297 reads.
“All emergency use authorization issued by the Food and Drug Administration pursuant to Executive Order No. 121 shall remain valid for a period of one year from the date of lifting of the State of Public Health Emergency for the sole purposes of exhausting the remaining vaccine,” it added.
Marcos likewise directed all government agencies to ensure their policies will adapt to the lifting of the COVID-19 state of public health emergency as the order allows amendment and promulgation of rules and regulations to align with Proclamation No. 297.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/23/23/all-covid-19-health-protocols-in-ph-lifted-doh |
All medical protocols on COVID-19 in the Philippines are lifted, the Department of Health (DOH) said late Saturday, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. terminated the public health emergency declaration due to the disease in the country.
"Consequently, the requirement for wearing masks in public transportation and other settings as specified in (Executive Order) 7 is now considered rescinded from a technical standpoint," Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in a statement.
For infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante, the lifting of the health protocols meant it was time for the country to "move on [from] this pandemic."
Solante said the development leaves private companies to decide whether they would still require employees to wear face masks or not, depending on the arrangements and situation in their workplaces.
But even with the lifting of the protocols, Solante urged those who show symptoms of COVID-19 and those who live in high-risk areas to continue protecting themselves.
Meanwhile, as stated in Proclamation No. 297 that lifted the Philippines' COVID-19 public health emergency status, the DOH said the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) on COVID-19 vaccines and the payment of outstanding dues for the Health Emergency Allowance would still be in effect, and would be valid for one more year.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1206317 |
Local carriers Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific (CEB) and AirAsia Philippines announced Monday they are no longer requiring face masks on flights.
The move comes as Malacañang announced over the weekend the lifting of the state of public health emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
"Philippine Airlines welcomes the lifting of the mask mandate and other Covid protocols," said PAL in a statement, adding that this is a significant sign of the normalization of air travel.
The flag carrier added that it will continue to observe safety procedures such as disinfection of aircraft surfaces after every flight, as well as the use of, while HEPA filters and advanced airflow system inside the cabin.
AirAsia Philippines, on the other hand, also announced it will no longer require mask on domestic flights, while the wearing of face mask will remain subject to health protocols in international destinations.
Deep cleaning and aircraft sanitation will still be observed, it added.
"There is no room for complacency in the airline business. We want our guests to feel secure when they fly with AirAsia. Although it is no longer a policy, guests, and crew may still opt to wear face masks whenever they deem necessary," the low-cost carrier said in a statement.
CEB, meanwhile, has announced that the lifting of face mask mandate on flights is in effect starting July 24.
It advised passengers to continue practicing minimum health standards such as disinfecting, hand washing, and physical distancing when necessary.
They are also encouraged to check in online for contactless procedures.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/23/do-tr-lifts-covid-19-restrictions-in-all-public-transportation |
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) lifted on Sunday, July 23, the existing health safety protocols in all public transportation system after President Marcos issued a presidential proclamation that set aside Covid-19 protocols as part of the move for the normalization.
DOTR Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the lifted Covid-19 protocols include the wearing face masks and physical distancing in passenger jeepneys, buses and mass transportation system.
“The President’s proclamation rescinds the mask requirement in public transport. All passenger vehicles can continue to operate at full capacity,” said Bautista.
“This new development is a significant step towards normalizing public transportation and supporting economic recovery,” he added.
The Covid-19 protocols were strictly implemented since March 2020 and has been gradually eased in the past two years as the number fo infections in the country decline following the aggressive vaccination.
The health safety protocols resulted in the loss of livelihood and limited earnings for public utility vehicle (PUV) operators and drivers.
With the lifting of the Covid-19 protocols, commuters can now enjoy the pre-pandemic riding experience.
“While public safety remains a top priority, the removal of protocols aims to facilitate commuters' convenience, contribute to the revival of the transportation industry, and help stimulate economic activity,” said Bautista.
The official, however, assured that despite the removal of existing COVID-19 protocols, frequent sanitization in public transportation will continue to prevent any potential health risk.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday, July 23 urged Filipinos to remain vigilant against the threat of the Covid-19 despite the lifting of the state of public health emergency in the Philippines.On Saturday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced the lifting of the nationwide declaration, under Proclamation 297.“We respect the decision of President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. of lifting the state of public health emergency in our country. We trust that it was arrived at after careful consideration of the present health issue and the need to finally open up the economy,” said Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.But Go reiterated his appeal to the Executive branch to ensure that the country’s healthcare workers receive their pandemic related allowances, as well as death benefits, for those who gave their lives in the fight against the Covid-19.“With or without the State of Public Health Emergency, the government should fulfill its obligations to protect the lives of Filipinos, safeguard their health, and give what is due to them, especially to our medical frontliners,” he said.Likewise, Go urged Filipinos to still remain vigilant and to exercise caution: “My appeal to our countrymen is to continue to be careful, to take care of our bodies and prioritize our health.”“We have learned and sacrificed a lot during this pandemic that will serve as a lesson for us to protect our community against various health threats,” the senator stressed.
Social science scholars along with researchers, policymakers and academics will gather at the end of July in an event to discuss plans for the country’s post-pandemic recovery and to address other matters relating to public health.
The event, dubbed as the 10th National Social Science Congress (NSSC), is an initiative of the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC), a non-government organization seeking to put forward science, culture, and education.
Co-organizaed with Siliman University, this year’s NSCC will be held in Dumaguete City, Negros Occidental from July 27 to July 29. It will adopt the theme “Centering Social Sciences in Future-Proof Health and Well-Being.”
PSSC Executive Director Lourdes Portus, in a statement on Wednesday, said the NSSC will be a platform for social scientists and other experts to discuss plans related to the country’s post-pandemic recovery.
“The [NSSC] comes at just the right time when nations are recovering from the life-altering COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted our otherwise normal world – causing deaths and unspeakable suffering and upheaval in our lives. Medical science has been at the front and center of the country’s collective response to the pandemic; now social scientists must take center stage in planning and facilitating our post-pandemic recovery,” said Portus.
According to PSSC, academic papers relating to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will also be presented during the event.
No word on what they discussed but it seems kind of late to be discussing recovery when the nation has been in recovery mode for a year and a half at least.
A digital marketing expert says the pandemic introduced many to digital technology.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/517381/digital-marketing-expert-covid-19-introduced-many-to-digital-technology |
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a ‘lasting change” in the way people think and behave.
It also introduce a lot of Filipinos to digital technology, which is the way of the future, according to Donald Patrick Lim, chief operating officer of DITO CME and chief innovation officer for Udenna Corporation.
Lim, who is known as the Father of Digital Marketing in the Philippines, said the pandemic forced a sudden shift to digital marketing.
In his presentation on “Digital Technology for Sustainability” on the second day of the Tourism Summit that was held in Cebu City on Friday, July 21, Lim said that many started to go cashless and they continued to do so to date.
People also started to patronize online shopping applications.
And as we move forward, the world is also moving towards the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), he added.
Lim said that when the pandemic hit, many were caught off guard. It disrupted the way people lived.
But for him the pandemic was a “great pause” that led to the way people and businesses behaved now.
“Maybe Covid is not just a disease, but a wake up call for humanity to really become more responsible for taking care of our planet.” he said.
With the implementation of travel restrictions, many were confined to their homes. Many workers were allowed to do remote work.
Even meetings and some of the gatherings started to go virtual.
Lim said that at first, all of these changes caused discomfort. Eventually, people started to adapt and adjusted the way that they lived.
Now if only there were no brownouts and the internet was more stable and faster the Philippines could enter the future quicker.
The FDA has released a product registration for bivalent vaccines now they will check to see which pharmacies have the capacity to store them.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/07/22/2282902/fda-check-pharmacies-capacity-store-bivalent-jabs |
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will conduct inspection of pharmacies and check if they have the capacity to store and sell the Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccine that was recently issued a certificate of product registration (CPR).
FDA director general Samuel Zacate said they are now streamlining the process of inspection of these pharmacies so they can easily confirm if indeed these establishments can properly refrigerate the vaccines.
“We will conduct inspection to see if they are capacitated. At the same time, there are also pharmacies with cold storage facilities already,” Zacate said at a press briefing in Quezon City yesterday. “Because of the storage requirements of these bivalent vaccines, a pharmacy must have a special storage facility.”
“We will just be waiting for the market authorization holder to import the product and afterwards, it is set for (commercial) distribution, and then people can avail themselves of it,” he said.
The FDA chief said they expect the vaccine to be brought here either this month or next month. On June 26, the FDA announced that it has granted a CPR for Pfizer’s bivalent shots, which can be received by people from ages 12 and above.
The FDA granted the CPR with five years validity after a comprehensive evaluation process, extensive clinical trials and thorough assessment of all available scientific data and information provided by the vaccine manufacturer and comprehensive evaluation process.
If only a limited number of pharmacies have the capacity to store the bivalent vaccine that will cut short its availability to the people.
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