The Department of Health (DOH) will convene the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to discuss and reassess policies after the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on Covid-19.
“This is an acknowledgment of our effective and collaborative Covid-19 response and concerted efforts to fully recover and reopen our economy,” the DOH said in a statement late Friday night.
In the same statement, the DOH further guarantees the Filipino people that all factors in determining their next action would be in line with the WHO’s proclamation.
Whatever will be considered and discussed by the IATF will be approved by the President, the DOH also said.
In a recent press conference, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Covid-19 has been so much more than a “health crisis” for it disrupted economies, travel, shattering businesses and “plunging millions into poverty.”
Ghebreyesus noted that for over a year, the pandemic has been on a “downward” trend.
It may be noted that on January 30, 2020, WHO announced the emergency declaration.
The DOH reported that the total number of Covid -19 cases in the country is 4,099,088. Of this number, the total number of recoveries is revealed to be 4,023,485, while deaths are reported as 66,444.
To date, there remain 9,159 active cases, while there are 1,563 new cases reported as of May 5, 2023.