MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 may be declared as endemic when the entire Philippines is placed under Alert Level 1, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020.
READ: WHO declares virus crisis a pandemic, urges world to fight
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that variants would be considered in the pronouncement of an endemic.
“All of the areas has to be on Alert Level 1 — mababa ang kaso, mababa ang pagkaka-ospital, at mataas ang bakunahan (low cases, low hospitalization, and high vaccination). And that is the definition po kapag sinasabi natin na (when we say) endemic,” she said in an online media forum.
“Pero hindi lang ‘yan ang tinitignan when you say it’s an endemic state. Naandyan pa rin po ‘yung mga variants na maaaring dumating sa atin. Naandiyan pa rin po ‘yung mga ibang konsiderasyon with regards or in terms of politics and in terms of societal factors,” she noted.
(But that is not the only thing to look at when you say it’s an endemic state. There are variants that may enter the country. There are other considerations with regards or in terms of politics and societal factors.)
Currently, Metro Manila and 38 other areas in the country are under Alert Level 1 until March 15.
READ: Metro Manila, 38 other areas under Alert Level 1 starting Mar. 1
The country posted its lowest COVID-19 infections this year at 951 on February 28.
READ: PH logs new record-low COVID-19 cases this year at 951
Based on DOH’s latest data released March 1, total COVID-19 infections in the Philippines are 3,663,059.