The Department of Health (DOH) said it is providing information to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. about the Covid-19 situation in other countries aside from the Philippines.
“We apprised the President and his staff about the situation not just in the Philippines but also in other countries,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing on Tuesday, Dec. 27.
During the media forum, Vergeire was asked if the DOH will recommend Marcos to push through or not in his scheduled state visit to China in January next year, considering the high number of Covid-19 cases there.
“Yung travel ho ng Presidente going to China, hindi ho kami ang dapat sumagot (Regarding the President's trip to China, we are not the one who should answer) if he is pushing through or not,” said Vergeire.
Vergeire said that the international engagements of Marcos are also important for the country’s economy.
“Kailangan mainitindihan din natin we are already currently living with the virus, so yung pagpunta for example sa isang lugar ng isang tao dahil mataas ang (We also need to realize that we are already currently living with the virus. So, going for example to a place where there is a high) virus detection should not hamper us from doing our work,” she said.
“Ang mga bisita po ng ating Presidente sa ibat-ibang bansa ay importante para sa ating ekonomiya (The President's visits to different countries are important for our economy). And if the precautions are there, he is fully vaccinated and complying to minimum public health standards like wearing of masks, the risk would be low,” she added.
“Antayin po natin (Let us wait) from the Office of the President the confirmation if he is pushing through with his travel to China,” she furthered.
Last November, the Malacanang announced that Marcos is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in January 2023.
The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern about the spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in China.
"WHO is very concerned over the evolving situation in China, with increasing reports of severe disease," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last Dec. 21.
"In order to make a comprehensive risk assessment of the situation on the ground, WHO needs more detailed information on disease severity, hospital admissions and requirements for ICU support," he added.