Herbosa to ask President to lift public health emergency in PH
Saying that the coronavirus pandemic no longer posed an emergency, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Monday said he will recommend the formal lifting of the COVID-19 state of public health emergency in the country.
Declaring the end of the emergency state would have an impact on the use of emergency funds for the use of vaccines, and the Department of Health’s current marching orders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that health workers continue to receive their COVID-related allowances, even though the state of calamity has expired.
Herbosa said COVID-19 could be treated as any other disease that the DOH monitors like influenza, cough, and cold.
“Actually, there is no longer an emergency. I think I would actually ask the lifting of the public health emergency in the country,” he said.
Last February, President Marcos said he would no longer extend the state of calamity that expired Dec. 31, 2022, signaling that the government believes the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Three months later, the President said there was no need to change the country’s status on COVID-19 after the World Health Organization lifted the global public health emergency status on the disease.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency in the country during the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
Under Proclamation 922, the state of public health emergency would remain in force and effect until lifted or withdrawn by the President. Mr. Marcos has yet to do so, even after his comments last May.
However, Herbosa said the COVID alert level system will stay “because that’s a system like the typhoon signal (raised by the state weather bureau).”
Also on Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a certificate of product registration (CPR) for the Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, signaling these will be commercially available soon.
“The FDA is pleased to announce the approval of the application and grant of CPR for Toziameran + Famtozinameran (15 mcg/15 mcg)/ 0.3 mL Dispersion for Injection with a brand name, Comirnaty Original/ Omicron B.A. 4-5,” it said in a press statement.
“The FDA has 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,” it added.
FDA Director General Dr. Samuel Zacate encouraged pharmaceutical firms to apply for the issuance of CPR or market authorization for their vaccine shots.
The Department of Health (DOH) previously said bivalent vaccines provide protection against the original COVID-19 strain SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
As this developed, the DOH logged a total of 325 serious and critical COVID-19 cases admitted in hospitals on June 25.
Of the 1,564 ICU beds for COVID-19 patients, 204 (13 percent) were occupied while 2,274 (17.7 percent) of 12,855 non-ICU COVID-19 beds were also being used.
More than 78 million people or 100.44 percent of the target population were vaccinated against COVID-19 while 23 million individuals got their booster shots.
On the other hand, 7.1 million senior citizens, or 82.16 percent of the target A2 population obtained their primary series.
From June 19 to 25, there were 3,442 new cases recorded in the country.
The average number of new cases a day was listed at 492, which was lower by 20 percent compared to new cases last June 12 up to June 18. Of the new cases, 37 are serious and critical.