Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante proposed the removal of the “emergency” tag on Covid-19, citing the country’s low number cases and high vaccination rate.
“Sa pag-uusap namin sa mga ibang eksperto, I think it’s high time na na talagang puwede na nating tanggalin ang emergency na label ng Covid-19 because of the persistent and sustained number of cases na talagang mababa na,” Solante said in a “Laging Handa” briefing.
Solante said his proposal would still have to be brought up with the World Health Organization.
President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire country under a state of calamity due to Covid-19 in March 2020.
Extended several times, the validity of the state of calamity is active until Sept. 12, 2022.
The country has tallied 3,690,707 Covid-19 cases to date, of which only 2,320 remained active.
It has recorded 60,455 deaths due to the disease
As of May 31, the Philippines has administered 151,885,787 Covid-19 vaccine doses, enough to fully vaccinate 70.8 million Filipinos.
“The fact na mayroon na tayong mga bakunang available, mayroon na rin tayong mga antiviral agents available, so these are interventions that in case kung mayroon mang tataas na mga kaso, we can manage and we can control it,” Solante said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro