By Macon Ramos-Araneta
Health Sec. Teodoro Herbosa last December 17 said there’s no need to worried about the “minimal” rise in COVID-19 cases as he noted the Department of Health (DOH) did not allocate any budget for new COVID-19 vaccines for 2024.
In a media briefing, Herbosa said based on their statistics, the Covid-19 cases is still not high, compared to last year for the same months.
“Yes, there is a slight uptick. Yes, hospitals said that their COVID beds are full but that’s because there are fewer COVID beds,” added the DOH chief.
As of December 11, Herbosa said there was an occupancy rate of 16 percent in COVID-19 beds and 14 percent in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, percentages that were considered “low risk.”
DOH Undersecretary Eric Tayag said last December 14 that allocated COVID-19 beds in the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, National Kidney Transplant Institute, and the Medical City are almost fully occupied amid an increase in coronavirus cases.
He cited a statement from infectious disease experts that the most recent variants have symptoms just like the common cold and flu. They are just upper respiratory infection, unlike the earlier variety which resulted in some cases, severe pneumonia and death in the ICU.
Herbosa also said the DOH would not mandate the wearing of face masks but encouraged people who have symptoms to refrain from going out and attending social gatherings.
He also told the public to do a self-risk assessment now that the holiday season was upcoming.
Herbosa said the country’s supply of COVID-19 monovalent and bivalent vaccines were already exhausted, following the lifting of the State of Public Health Emergency in July.
With the new COVID-19 cases, Herbosa said vaccines are not the solution but awareness to health risks.
“We’ve learned the solution — it’s minimum public health standards.”
He also announced the Philippines will receive from COVAX facility a million doses of the new COVID-19 monovalent vaccines that specifically target the Omicron XBB subvariant of COVID-19.”We’ve been offered one million doses and I’m accepting it from COVAX. I’m accepting it in tranches of 500,000 para magkaron din tayo ng access,” he said.
