Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to “soon” issue an order putting an end to the state of public health emergency in the country due to COVID-19, as he already considers the status “de facto” lifted, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said on Tuesday.
“Ang sabi niya kasi, de facto na parang naka-lift narin tayo diba? Optional na ang masking, diba? [What he said was that it appears the status is already de facto lifted, right? Masking is optional, right?]” Herbosa told reporters after a Malacañang briefing.
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In May, the World Health Organization declared the end of the global COVID-19 health emergency.
Shortly after that, the Department of Health (DOH) – which was then led by officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire – said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will submit its recommendations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic to the Office of the President.
The DOH noted that the report will include the IATF’s position on the lifting of the state of public health emergency, which was declared by former President Rodrigo Duterte in March 2020.
“The IATF already recommended the lifting,” Herbosa said during the Palace briefing. “But I think the Office of the President had to study some other things that were the consequences of the lifting officially. One was the vaccine issue, because mawawala ‘yung EUA, emergency use authorization, to get the bivalents (vaccines).”
Herbosa noted this problem has now been resolved after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a certificate of product registration (CPR) allowing Pfizer to sell its bivalent vaccines in the Philippines.
“I think that obstacle is gone kasi may CPR na tayo [because we already have a CPR],” Herbosa said.
“For the poor, we’re still negotiating with COVAX for two million doses, so that we can still be able to give to those who cannot afford to buy the bivalent,” he added.
READ: DOH rolls out bivalent vaccines, plans to procure more
With a CPR from the FDA, vaccines may be available in the market for purchase by the public. However, the national government may still subsidize a portion of the cost of vaccines if needed by the vulnerable sectors.
