The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has yet to announce new Covid-19 alert levels for the second half of July.
This is after the country’s daily average of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases went up by 39 percent from July 4 to 10 according to the report of the Department of Health (DOH) last Monday.
Several provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs) and independent component cities and municipalities have been placed under Alert Level 1 from July 1 to 15.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles stressed, however, that the IATF continues to carry out its work amid the pandemic.
“Ang masasabi lang po natin ay tuloy-tuloy naman po ang trabaho ng IATF. Hindi naman po sila naantala kahit po bago na ang administrasyon. So tinutuloy pa rin po ang IATF (What we can say if the IATF continues to do its job. It was not disrupted when the new administration took over. So IATF continues to fulfill its mandate),” Cruz-Angeles said in a press conference.
When asked whether IATF will issue new alert levels before July 15, Cruz-Angeles said, “Titignan po natin. Medyo speculative kasi maaari naman po tayong gumawa ng extension for necessary agencies kung saka-sakali (Let’s see. It’s somehow speculative because we can make extension for necessary agencies if need be). So, we’ll see.”
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on Friday raised the possibility of lowering the Covid-19 alert status and making the wearing of masks optional if the booster vaccination drives become successful.
An intensified campaign to encourage more Filipinos to receive Covid-19 booster shots is among the priorities of the Marcos administration.
