BE VIGILANT. The Department of Health (DOH) advises the public to keep practicing health protocols despite the lifting of the public health emergency. A proactive approach to health and safety remains the best way to fight any disease, it said. (PNA file photo)
MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday advised the public to still follow health protocols despite the lifting of the state of public health emergency in the country.
Continued awareness and adherence to recommended health protocols are paramount to safeguarding communities from potential health risks, the DOH said in a press statement Saturday.
“It is crucial to recognize that while the state of public health emergency is lifted, we must remain vigilant and proactive in our approach to health and safety,” it added.
Still, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa commended the decision of Malacañang and agreed with the assessment that conditions now “no longer necessitate the continuation of the public health emergency status.”
The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will convene for a final meeting to formally conclude the public health emergency and come out with a comprehensive final report.
This report, the DOH said, will encapsulate the “tireless efforts and dedication of the IATF, the medical frontliners, and the entire government in combatting the challenges posed by the pandemic.”
“The Secretary of Health takes this opportunity to commend the exemplary performance and unwavering commitment of the Inter-Agency Task Force and the medical frontliners who have demonstrated resilience and heroism throughout this challenging period,” the DOH said.
“Their dedication to safeguarding public health has been instrumental in reaching this critical milestone.”
Former president Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency in the Philippines on March 8, 2020, through Proclamation 922 after the first reported Covid-19 transmission in the country.
Two days before his second State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. lifted the nationwide declaration with the issuance of Proclamation 297. (PNA)
