President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has lifted the State of Public Health Emergency throughout the country issued by his predecessor to deal with COVID-19 pandemic.
“All prior orders, memoranda, and issuances that are effective only during the State of Public Health Emergency shall be deemed withdrawn, revoked or canceled and shall no longer be in effect,” said Marcos Jr. in a proclamation issued Friday.
The proclamation said all emergency use authorization issued by the Food and Drug Administration to quickly deal with the pandemic, including the expedited issuance of permits on the use of COVID-19 vaccines, shall remain valid for a period of one year from the date of lifting of the health emergency for the sole purposes of exhausting the remaining vaccine supply.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte declared the health emergency in March 2020, shortly after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marcos Jr.’s proclamation also states that although COVID-19 remains a serious concern for certain subpopulation and requires continued public health response, the country has maintained sufficient healthcare system capacity and low hospital bed utilization rates even after the liberalization of COVID-19 health protocols.
Last May, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the WHO highlighted the decreasing trend in COVID-19 deaths, the decline in COVID-19-related hospitalizations and intensive care unit admission, and the high levels of population immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
