Dr. Willie Ong, running mate of presidential candidate Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, said Manila City’s pandemic response can serve as a model for other local officials amid the new surge in COVID-19 cases, particularly in the National Capital Region.
“I feel we will have another wave. Hopefully, milder or less than [the] Omicron [wave],” Ong said in a Facebook live post.
He likened the Omicron wave to a typhoon, adding that he hoped it would be the last to hit the country.
“But I am getting ready for even stronger [waves]. I am getting ready for an Ondoy [level] pandemic. That should be it,” he added.
Ong earlier called on national and local officials to immediately buy life-saving antiviral drugs such as Molnupiravir and Paxlovid.
The 58-year-old cardiologist and internist said local government units whose hospitals are now being overwhelmed by the high number of COVID-positive patients can look at how the City of Manila prepared for this present surge in infections.
Under the leadership of Domagoso, the city government purchased life-saving anti-COVID drugs such as Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Baricitinib and just recently, Molnupiravir, to help treat patients who are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms.
All the drugs were purchased by the city government at a time when they are yet to be heavily needed upon the advice of Ong.
The Manila city government has just received an additional 20,000 Molnupiravir tablets to replenish its stocks after more than 30,000 of the tablets were freely given to COVID-positive individuals all over Luzon.
Another 20,000 tablets of Molnupiravir will be delivered next week.
“It should be free for the government. Here in Manila, it’s free. We have a lot of Molnupiravir,” Ong said.
Domagoso was also able to build two additional hospitals and a COVID -19 Field Hospital in Rizal Park, which was set-up in record time as a response to the pandemic. The Bagong Ospital ng Maynila, a 10-story state-of-the-art hospital, is scheduled to become operational this month.