HEALTH workers will continue to receive COVID-19 allowances despite the expiration of the state of calamity in the country due to the pandemic, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.
“Tuloy-tuloy ‘yan… Yung inaalala ko dati na hindi matutuloy ang compensation para sa ating health workers, ‘yung mga health workers, ‘yung allowance nila ay pinag-aralan namin nang mabuti kahit hindi itinutuloy ang state of calamity ay hindi maapektuhan ang pagbayad doon sa ating mga health workers ng kanilang mga benefits,” President Marcos said after meeting with health officials in Malacañang.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 929, declaring a state of calamity across the country in March 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread in the country.
The state of calamity was supposed to last for six months but was extended for a year up to September 12, 2021, via Proclamation No. 1021, and was extended for a second time through Proclamation No. 1218.
President Marcos also mentioned the COVID infection situation in the country, saying he discussed with health officials the procurement of vaccines.
The COVAX facility, co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO),shipped to the Philippines almost 1.3 million doses of the vaccine, according to the President.
Such number of doses is sufficient for the country for now, Marcos said as he pointed to the declining number of infections in the Philippines based on recent records.
“Pababa naman nang pababa ang ating cases, pababa nang pababa naman ang ating hospitalization, ‘yun ang binabantayan natin. So titingnan natin,” Marcos said.
“Hindi na kailangan kagaya ng 2021 na lagi tayong nagmamadali makakuha ng vaccine dahil pabawas na ‘yung risk, so dapat naman eh mag-adjust din tayo doon sa kung ano ba talaga ang scientific na assessment doon sa sitwasyon ng COVID,” the President pointed out.
Department of Health (DOH) officials reported that new COVID-19 cases continue to decline in the country.
As of January 29, the DOH logged 9,982 active COVID-19 cases.
From January 23 to 29, the DOH recorded 1,206 new cases, with 172 average daily cases for the period, which was 35 percent lower than the cases from January 16 to 22.
The DOH has so far vaccinated 73 million individuals, or 94.54 percent of the target population, while 21 million individuals have received their booster shots.
6.9 million senior citizens, or 79.47 percent of the target A2 population, have received the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, while 2.76 million senior citizens had their booster shots.
