Tokyo-based Nikkei Asia magazine has said the Philippines improved its COVID-19 recovery rankings, moving from 57th place in December to 33rd place in May.
Nikkei Asia’s May 31 report said the Philippines, along with Vietnam, recorded their “best performances” last month for keeping the COVID-19 infections low while managing to ease restrictions.
The country’s latest ranking puts it ahead of more than 80 other countries, including Switzerland (38), Israel (44), Japan (53), the United Kingdom (58), Canada (60), Australia and Hong Kong (71), New Zealand (75), Singapore (79), United States (89), and China (93).
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) will recommend to the incoming Marcos administration to maintain the alert level system as the country continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
In a briefing, Vergeire said low vaccination numbers in some regions have made it difficult to get them to the most relaxed quarantine status of Alert Level 1.
The following areas will remain under Alert Level 2 from June 1 to 15:
In Luzon: Benguet, Ifugao, Quezon Province, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate and Sorsogon.
In the Visayas: Antique, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, Leyte, Northern Samar and Western Samar.
In Mindanao: City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro, Davao Occidental, General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Basilan, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III would be recommending that the incoming government continue the current administration’s efforts to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination, and to strengthen the health system’scapacity, including hospitals and rural health units, to combat COVID-19.
The DOH had formed its transition committee and held several meetings with the incoming administration to endorse health priorities.
“We are preparing the transition so that there will be no gaps in our service when the new administration arrives,” she said.
The DOH on Saturday logged 213 fresh COVID-19 infections, bringing the nationwide tally of COVID-19 to 3,691,327.
Based on the DOH’s latest data, the country’s active case count dropped to 2,436 from 2,441 on Friday.
The regions with the newest cases in the recent two weeks were the National Capital Region with 1,075, followed by Calabarzon with 429, Central Luzon with 239, Western Visayas with 143, and Soccskargen with 107, the DOH said.
The DOH reported no new COVID-19 deaths.
Meanwhile, a total of 3,628,435 patients recovered from the viral disease.
The DOH said 16,843 people were tested, while 314 testing labs submitted results as of Friday.
The country’s bed occupancy stood at 17 percent, with 5,191 occupied and 25,368 vacant beds.