To prevent a possible surge in Covid-19 cases after the 2022 elections, President Rodrigo Duterte urged voters to always adhere to the government’s health protocols.
“So better again remember when you go to the electoral precincts, kindly tell yourself that you have to remember the things that government wants you to follow so that hindi masyado tayo mahirapan and we will prevent another surge,” Duterte said in his “Talk to the People” address.
“We can only interdict the surge in the future by the simple washing of the hands, ang mask importante talaga ‘yan,” he added.
Experts have been warned of an uptick in cases in the coming weeks due to social gatherings during religious and elections-related activities.
The Philippines recently approved the administration of a second booster shot to address waning immunity against Covid-19.
In the briefing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told Duterte a Covid-19 surge was “always a possibility.”
“Pero maibsan o maiwasan po basta sumunod sa atin pong mga panuntunan, sumunod po, tumalima sa atin pong minimum public health standards at saka ‘yung patuloy na vaccination trajectory po natin at booster dose uptake, ‘yan po ay palalawigin po natin,” he said.
The Philippines recorded 1,465 new Covid-19 cases from April 18 to 24. Its active tally stands at 10,576 cases as of April 27. John Ezekiel J. Hirro