The state of public health emergency due to Covid-19 won’t be lifted anytime soon by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Department of Health officer-in-charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire said.
“I don’t think that there would be that kind of concept,” Vergeire said during a meeting with World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Dr. Tedros told the President that there was a recent meeting among the higher officials of the WHO which decides on this public health emergency and he specifically told the President in the recent meeting the vote was to still continue on with the public health emergency,” Tedros said.
“Not yet at this time. He told that to the President and the President said ‘yes we understand,’” he added.
Vergeire explained that Marcos believed and used the guidance of the WHO officials.
“And I think the President would do this gradually… and of course he is trying to balance also. So, I don’t think there is this kind of thinking already right now immediately. Maybe in the coming months that will again discussed but the president believes and also uses the guide given by experts like Dr. Tedros,” Vergeire said.
— Ronald Espartinez