The Department of Health (DOH) has cited certain criteria that should be met first before it can recommend the lifting of the country's state of calamity status due to Covid-19 pandemic.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Oct. 11, DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country’s number of cases is not just the factor that should be considered.
It is also important to look at the figure on the hospital admission, the number of severe and critical Covid-19 patients, and the vaccination rate.
Right now, it is important to increase the Covid-19 vaccination rate in the Philippines, said Vergeire.
Once the DOH see that cases are “plateauing,” vaccination coverage have “improved,” there is “minimal” number of severe and critical patients, and low hospital utilization rate, then the DOH “can recommend to the President this lifting of the State of Calamity,” said Vergeire.
It is also important to assess and review the status of other countries, said Vergeire.
“Kailangan makita din natin ang estado sa buong mundo at ano naman ang guidance ng WHO regarding this matter kung tayo po magbibigay ng rekomendasyon sa ating Presidente (We also need to see the status around the world and what would be the guidance of the WHO regarding this matter if we will give a recommendation to our President),” said Vergeire.
There are still 26,014 active cases of Covid-19 nationwide as of Oct. 10, based on the DOH Covid-19 tracker. Since 2020, a total of 3,969,987 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the Philippines.
The country’s hospital utilization rate remains at low risk as only 25 percent of beds dedicated for Covid-19 patients are currently occupied.
As of Oct. 10, almost 73.3 million Filipinos have been fully-vaccinated against Covid-19. Of this figure, about 20.2 million individuals have received their first booster shot, the DOH said.