By Willie Casas and Rio N. Araja
The Department of Health (DOH) is urging Congress to pass a measure that will allow the government to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic once the state of calamity expires by end-December this year.
According to DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, the agency has submitted to the House of Representatives the Public Health Emergency for Emerging and Reemerging Disease Bill.
“This was signed as one of the priority bills of this current administration,” she said in a press briefing.
Under the bill, the government may still procure vaccines, conduct vaccination, and provide benefits to health workers even without the declaration of a state of calamity, Vergeire said.
She disclosed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the proposed measure passed during the first Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council meeting.
“The President specifically said that these are priority bills, and it has to be passed,” she added.
The Philippines is under a state of public health emergency until December 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was first declared by former President Rodrigo Duterte during the onset of the outbreak in March 2020.
Meanwhile, the DOH is urging the public to get COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for an additional layer of protection and minimize the virus spread, as face-to-face holiday gatherings are expected to return.
Vergeire said everyone should have an informed decision of when they’ll take off masks.
“I hope we all know what our risk level is when we take off the mask and when we think we should or shouldn’t be wearing a mask,” she said.
“We don’t have restrictions as to age or capacity, so we remind ourselves to make an informed decision when we go to a gathering with a lot of people,” she added.
As of November 9, a total of 73.6 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Meanwhile, 20.7 million fully-vaccinated individuals have been boosted.