The Department of Health agrees with the World Health Organization that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is now in sight even in the Philippines but reiterated that the virus is here to stay.
“Dito sa Pilipinas kapag tinignan natin, ako personally, and even the Department feels that we are seeing na mukhang matatapos na nga,” DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
The World Health Organization says that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is now finally in sight and the world has never been in a better position to end the health crisis that changed the world in 2020.
“Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from Covid-19 was the lowest since March 2020. We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We’re not there yet, but the end is in sight,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization said in a media briefing..
“A marathon runner does not stop when the finish line comes into view; she runs harder with all the energy she has left. So must we. We can see the finish line, we are in a winning position, but now is the worst time to stop running. Now is the time to run harder and make sure we cross the line and reap the rewards of all our hard work,” he added.
Vergeire said that the public and the government should always be prepared to deal with outbreaks because the virus is still a threat.
“Expectedly, it will still cause outbreaks every now and then. Expectedly, it will still cause one to two deaths or some deaths every now and then because hindi naman mawawala ‘yang COVID-19, nandiyan yan” she said.
“What we need to do, strengthen our system, strengthen the immunity of the population, make our facilities ready so that pag dumating ‘yang punto na ‘yan lahat tayo prepared, wala tayong pangangamba, tayo po ay protektado,” she added.
Vergeire added that the government should continue testing, maintain its clinical management, reach its vaccination targets, institutionalize healthcare facilities, and implement continuous risk communication with the public.
“It has affected the response of each and every country all over the world. Kailangan malabanan natin ‘yung nagpapakalat ng maling impormasyon, ‘yung nagpapakalat ng unscientific data laban sa bakuna, o di kaya laban dito sa mga response na ginagawa natin,” she added.
