By Myris Lee
Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion has recommended the lifting of the state of public health emergency in the country since most areas have already been placed under Alert Level 1.
Countries like Australia, Singapore, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain and Italy, which are under the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) level 3, are not under a state of public health emergency.
Concepcion said the lifting would promote confidence among the population and help revive the country’s economy.
“Talagang maganda ang kalagayan ng bansa natin in terms of health in CDC. Ang Pilipinas ngayon ay nasa level 1 in terms of low risk. Hanggang level 3 ‘yan kagaya ng ibang bansa tulad ng European countries at Canada,” he said.
“We should start to discuss, the concern is that pag tinanggal ‘yung public health emergency, ‘‘yung pagkukunan ng budget nila sa pagbili ng bakuna at medisina baka mawala na,” he added.
Contrary to Concepcion’s suggestion, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a separate interview that it is not yet time to lift the public health emergency in the country.
He said all areas in the country should be placed first under Alert Level 1, noting that a number of local government units have not yet reached their COVID-19 vaccination immunity rate.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared a public health emergency on March 8, 2020 after the DOH raised its COVID-19 alert system to Code Red Sub-level 1. Code Red Sublevel 2 was raised on March 12, 2022. – ag
