Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa —INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Monday said he is mulling to propose the lifting of the COVID-19 state of public health emergency in the country.
Herbosa said this in an ambush interview with reporters, citing the World Health Organization’s decision to end the global health emergency on COVID-19 on May 5.
“Wala nang emergency eh … so I think I would actually ask [for] the lifting of the public health emergency in the country,” said Herbosa.
(There is no longer an emergency … so I think I would actually ask [for] the lifting of the public health emergency in the country.)
However, Herbosa clarified that the COVID-19 alert level system is here to stay, even when the public health emergency is lifted.
“The alert level system will stay, because that’s the system like the typhoon signal that stays, pero hindi na siya public health emergency. Wala nang public health emergency it’s just one of the diseases we monitor like influenza, coughs, colds etc.” he explained.
(The alert level system will stay, because that’s the system like the typhoon signal that stays, but it is no longer a public health emergency. There is no longer a public health emergency, it’s just one of the diseases we monitor like influenza, coughs, colds etc.)
The COVID-19 state of public health emergency was declared in the country back in March 2020 by then-President Rodrigo Dutere, enjoining government agencies and local government units to mobilize all necessary resources in responding against COVID-19.
It can be recalled that Duterte then placed the entire Philippines under a state of calamity after the declaration of the public health emergency. This, however, lapsed at the end of 2022 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decided not to extend it.
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