Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 5) — The Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases are set to convene after the World Health Organization (WHO) said COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency.
The two will \”discuss and reassess policies and other guidelines affected by the [WHO’s] declaration,\” the DOH said Friday, shortly after the WHO issued its declaration.
READ: WHO says COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency
The WHO first classified COVID-19 as a public health emergency in January 2020, six weeks before it declared the virus a pandemic.
\”The DOH welcomes the proclamation of the WHO regarding the lifting of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on COVID-19. This is an acknowledgment of our effective and collaborative COVID-19 response and concerted efforts to fully recover and re-open our economy,\” the department said.
However, the WHO’s declaration comes amid a backdrop of rapidly increasing COVID-19 infections in the Philippines.
The DOH recently told hospitals to prepare their COVID-19 wards in response to the spike in cases.
READ: DOH advises hospitals to prepare COVID-19 wards amid rise in cases
OCTA research group told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Thursday that the positivity rate in Metro Manila, currently at 20.4%, could reach as high as 25% by next week — the same level during the Delta variant surge in 2021.
The nationwide positivity rate stands at 17.8%, according to latest OCTA data.
As of May 5, there were 9,159 active COVID-19 cases in the country, the DOH said.
