MANILA – Department of Health said last Tuesday that the pandemic is not yet over, following the World Health Organization lifting its COVID-19 public health emergency status.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire says that despite WHO lifting the public health emergency of international concern status, the pandemic is not over, adding that we cannot be complacent.
Vergeire urged Filipinos to continue to protect themselves from the virus by wearing masks, isolating themselves when sick, and most importantly, getting vaccinated and boosted.
In the first week of May, the Philippines’ COVID-19 cases jumped 112%, with the Department of Health reporting 9,465 additional infections.
There are 11,408 active cases in the Philippines as of last Sunday, with 410 cases in severe and critical conditions, accounting for 8.2% of the total COVID-19 admissions in the country.
The DOH will invoke the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases to consult and reevaluate the policies and procedures affected by the WHO declaration.
The Philippines currently has over 4.1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 66,000 deaths since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020.
Sources: ABS-CBN News, Philstar
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