File photo shows a boy accompanied by an adult getting vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Cainta Elementary School Auditorium in Cainta, Rizal province. (INQUIRER PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has decided to retain the COVID-19 alert level system while a new health restrictions classification is being studied.
The decision came after Marcos met with officials from the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday.
According to Marcos, the new health restriction classification needs to be more compatible with the “current milder strains that afflict the patients.”
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (File photo / ROBINSON NIÑAL)
“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 as quoted in a press release of the Palace on Tuesday morning.
DOH officer-in-charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the health department could come up with a new alert level classification by the second week of August.
Vergeire added that experts project that if eligible individuals do not get vaccinated, the country will witness increased hospitalizations by September.
IATF functions
Meanwhile, for the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the DOH has decided to reconstitute the member agencies “to only those with relevant and intended functions”, according to the Palace.
Citing Vergeire, the Palace said the IATF meetings and processes will be streamlined and will be utilizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council platform.
“The platform will replace the National Task Force Against COVID-19 to integrate it with the regular processes,” the Palace said.
“This will allow the IATF health expert groups to continue their work as they serve as the voice of science in the country,” it added.