DOH also sees end of COVID-19 pandemic, but reiterates virus will stay

Similar to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said it also sees the end of the coronavirus pandemic in the Philippines but reiterated that the virus is here to stay.

“[D]ito 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 at a media briefing.

(If we look at it here in the Philippines, I personally, and even the Department feels that we are seeing that it may be ending.)

The WHO on Wednesday said the end of the pandemic is in sight and that countries around the globe have never been in a better position to end it as it observed that the number of new cases dropped dramatically.

However, Vergeire reiterated that the country should be prepared even if the pandemic will someday end as the virus is here to stay.

“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 (COVID-19 will not disappear, it will remain),” 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 (if we reach that point, we are prepared, we are not worried, we are protected),” she added.

Citing the WHO, Vergeire said the country must continue testing, maintain its clinical management, reach its vaccination targets, institutionalize healthcare facilities, and implement continuous risk communication with the public.

Further, she said the country must manage the “infodemic.”

“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 said.

(It has affected the response of each and every country all over the world. We need to fight those spreading misinformation, those spreading unscientific data about vaccines or against our responses.)

At a public briefing, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said the Philippines should not be complacent following the pronouncement from the WHO.

"Hindi dapat ikakampante ng ating mga kababayan kasi worldwide ay bumababa iyong cases, at maraming mga bansa ay tinanggap na nila na COVID is here to stay and we have to live with the virus," he said.

(Our people should not be complacent just because the number of cases worldwide is going down and many countries have accepted that COVID is here to stay and we have to live with the virus.) 

While the majority of the nation's provinces observed a decline in the number of new infections, according to David, several areas have seen a modest uptick, including Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Pangasinan, and Cavite.

"So, we should act accordingly na kung may pagtaas, hindi naman sa magiging alarmed tayo or magpa-panic tayo pero kailangan pa rin ng pag-iingat at hindi tayo maging kampante," he said.

(So, we should act accordingly. We should not be alarmed or panic if there is an increase in reported cases. But we need to take precautions and avoid being complacent.)  — with Joviland Rita/AOL/VBL, GMA News