MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. agreed on Monday to retain the Covid-19 alert level system for the time being, even as he attempts to reclassify restrictions that are compatible with the current milder variants experienced by the patients.
This, after health authorities stated that they could develop new alert level classification by mid-August.
The alert level, according to Marcos, could be adjusted or improved if people get their booster shots.
“To avoid confusion, we will retain the alert level system for now. We are however thinking, we are studying very closely, and we’ll come to a decision very soon as to decoupling the restrictions from the alert levels,” Marcos said during a meeting with Department of Health Officer-In-Charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
Vergeire stated that by the second week of August, the DOH could establish new classifications.
She added that mid-August is a suitable period to loosen up to allay fears of the medical community and give them time to make Covid-19 cases more manageable.
Due to the extremely contagious Omicron BA.5 variant, the country is currently experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases, according to the health official.
The current projections showed that more relaxed compliance to minimum public health standards (MPHS) would result in a higher number of Covid-19 cases, Vergeire said, noting, however, that it is preventable.
Vergeire stated that with the emergence of new Covid-19 variants, the virus’ immune-escaping mechanism also increased. Experts project that if eligible individuals do not take the vaccines, increased hospitalizations will be experienced in the country by September.
“So that’s why we really wanted to capture all of this eligible population bago dumating ‘yung time na projection na sinasabing September,” she said.
Moreover, the DOH is reconstituting the member agencies of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to only those with relevant and intended functions.
Pending the reconstitution, according to Vergeire, they will streamline IATF meetings and processes with clear directives to assist in safe reopening and will be utilizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council platform.
In order to integrate it with the regular processes, the platform will replace the National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF).
This will enable the IATF health expert groups to continue their work in the country.
