President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has officially lifted the State of Public Health Emergency across the country for the COVID-19 pandemic, more than three years since former President Rodrigo Duterte declared it due to the coronavirus outbreak.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, Mr. Marcos issued Proclamation No.297 on July 21, lifting the public health emergency throughout the Philippines.
“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orders, memoranda, and issuances that are effective only during the State of Public Health Emergency shall be deemed withdrawn, revoked, or canceled and shall no longer be in effect,” the proclamation said.
Meanwhile, the emergency use authorization (EUA) issued by the Food and Drug Administration for COVID vaccines will remain valid until next year or July 21, 2024.
“All EUA issued by the FDA pursuant to Executive Order (EO) No. 121 (s. 2020) shall remain valid for a period of one year from the date of the lifting of the State of Public Health Emergency for the sole purposes of exhausting the remaining vaccines,” the proclamation read.
It also stated that despite COVID-19 remaining a danger to select subpopulations and still requiring an immediate public response, the country has maintained sufficient healthcare system capacity and low hospital bed utilization rates even after the liberalization of COVID-19 health protocols.
The President also ordered all government agencies to consider their policies, rules, and regulations in relation to the lifting of the state emergency and to amend existing or promulgate new issuances, as they seem appropriate.
On March 2020, President Duterte issued Proclamation No. 922, declaring a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Succeeding EO No. 121 (s. 2020) authorized the FDA to issue EUAs for COVID-19 vaccines, which shall be valid only within the duration of the declared public health emergency.
Previously, the World Health Organization emphasized the decreasing number of COVID-19 deaths and the decline of COVID-19-related hospitalization.
WHO also stressed the high number of population immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that COVID-9 is now an established and ongoing health issue, which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and advised the transition to long-term management of the COVID-19 pandemic.