President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. has approved the lifting of the country's COVID-19 public health emergency, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro ‘Ted’ Herbosa said on Tuesday.
Speaking to the reporters, Herbosa said the President is in favor to put an end to the public health emergency as he considered the declaration as “de facto” lifted.
“Ang sabi niya kasi parang de facto, naka-lift na rin tayo ‘diba? Optional na ang masking ‘diba?,” he said.
The Health Chief noted that they are just waiting for a formal order from Marcos that officially directs the lifting.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Herbosa said the Inter-Agency Task Force Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEI) has yet to issue the signed resolution on the lifting of the status.
“The IATF resolution for this was issued by my predecessor, si OIC Vergeire,” he said.
“If that’s not yet signed, I’ll follow it up with a reiteration because I think at that time, there was still [hesitation] because there was the problem of how can we get the bivalent [COVID-19 vaccine],” Herbosa added.
Earlier, the DOH Chief said he would suggested the lifting of the imposed COVID-19 public health emergency in the country.
In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency.
BREAKING: PBBM, payag na alisin na ang public health emergency sa COVID-19 -Health Sec. Herbosa | via RH 14 @leth_narciso pic.twitter.com/VVeyNLNYcU
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