After more than three years of suffering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization or WHO has officially declared that the virus outbreak is no longer classified as a public health emergency of international concern or PHEIC.
According to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the emergency committee met for the 15th time and recommended to officially end the classification of Covid-19 as a global health emergency.
WHO, however, emphasized that the pandemic is far from over. Some people still get infected, and the virus continues to claim lives.
“Last week, Covid-19 claimed a life every three minutes and that’s just the deaths we know about. As we speak, thousands of people around the world are fighting for their lives in intensive care units,” Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying.
“And millions more continue to live with the debilitating effects of the post-Covid-19 condition. This virus is here to stay. It is still killing, and it’s still changing. The risk remains of new variants emerging that could cause new surges in cases and deaths,” he said.
Locally, the Department of Health echoed the same view. It once again encouraged Filipinos to exercise caution and not to be complacent.
“Even though the WHO has lifted the PHEIC status, it didn’t say the pandemic is over,” Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. “We want to remind everyone that even though the PHEIC has been lifted, we cannot be complacent at this point. We still need to be vigilant.”
To put things in perspective, there are still an increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines. According to OCTA Research, the positivity rate in Metro Manila rose slightly on 11 May to 24.9 percent from the 24.2 percent registered on 10 May.
In addition, the National Capital Region’s hospital bed occupancy was at 28.3 percent on 11 May compared to 25.5 percent on 3 May. In this scenario, OCTA Research expects the positivity rate in Metro Manila to peak over the next two weeks.
The Philippines has been somehow back to normal since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. scrapped quarantine restrictions to revive the ailing economy. But with the virus lingering and still a part of our lives, this pandemic will not be over until it is over. It is best to remain at home where we are protected the most.
When outdoors, we should continue to practice minimum safety protocols such as observing social distancing, regularly washing hands, using alcohol, and wearing face masks, among other things.
All of us have long prayed for this pandemic to be over, but as health experts believe, we have yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to remain safe and sound, and in good health.
But all of this will not be achieved with just the collaborative efforts of the public and private sectors. Our discipline and role as citizens are imperative in putting this pandemic to an end.