Marcos eyes to reclassify Covid-19 protocols

PRESIDENT BONGBONG Marcos is seeking to reclassify public health protocols that are compatible with the current milder Covid-19 strains in the country.

Marcos said the alert level could be adjusted or improved if people get their booster shots.

“To avoid confusion, we will retain the alert level system for now. We are however thinking, we are studying very closely, and we’ll come to a decision very soon as to decoupling the restrictions from the alert levels,” Marcos said during a meeting with Department of Health (DOH) Officer-In-Charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

Vergeire said the DOH could come up with new classifications by the second week of August, adding it is a suitable period to loosen up to allay fears of the medical community and give them time to make Covid-19 cases more manageable.

She said the country is currently experiencing an uptick in Covid-19 cases because of the highly contagious Omicron BA.5 variant. Based on current projections, more relaxed compliance to minimum public health standards would result in a higher number of Covid-19 cases, according to Vergeire, noting, however, that it is preventable.

With the emergence of new Covid-19 variants, the virus’ immune-escaping mechanism also increased. Experts project that if eligible individuals do not take the jabs, the country will witness increased hospitalizations by September, she said.

“So that’s why we really wanted to capture all of this eligible population bago dumating ‘yung time na projection na sinasabing September,” Vergeire said.

The DOH is also reconstituting the member agencies of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to only those with relevant and intended functions.

Pending the reconstitution, Vergeire said they will streamline IATF meetings and processes with clear directives to assist in safe reopening and will be utilizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council platform which will replace the National Task Force against Covid-19 to integrate it with the regular processes.

This will allow the IATF health expert groups to continue their work as they serve as the voice of science in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)