In a separate statement, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the government welcomed the news of the country’s improved ranking.
“The Philippines’ current position in the Nikkei Asia’s Recovery Index report for May 2022 is a clear indication that the Philippines has found its footing and is now on the path towards recovering from the pandemic,” he said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6) — The Philippines significantly improved on its ranking in Nikkei Asia’s COVID-19 Recovery Index in May, indicating that the country is moving closer to recovery.
The Philippines was 33rd among 121 nations. It is one of two Asian nations – the other, Viet Nam – that logged the best performance in infection management, vaccine rollout, and social mobility.
In December 2021, the country ranked 57th. Two months before that, it was at the bottom with a score of 30.5 due to low vaccination rate and lockdowns.
The Tokyo-based financial magazine on June 3 said the Philippines managed to ease restrictions while keeping the number of infections low. The country’s ranking improved substantially with the decline of daily coronavirus infections and COVID-19-related deaths, easing of requirements for inbound travelers, and the return of most businesses to normal operations.
Last week, the Department of Health said the country remains at low-risk classification for COVID-19 despite 70% of provinces, cities and municipalities nationwide showing an increase in cases.
