PH COVID restrictions to loosen up in August
The Philippine government plans to loosen up its COVID-19 restrictions by mid-August, said Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge (OIC) Maria Rosario Vergeire.
During a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Vergeire suggested that mid-August is a “suitable time” to downgrade lockdown restrictions across the country further. She added that the target period would also give the medical community ample time to manage the current uptick in COVID-19 cases.
The Philippines has been experiencing an increase in new COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Omicron BA.5 variant. The country recorded 14,640 new cases, averaging 2,091 infections a day from July 11 to 17.
This decision is in line with President Marcos Jr. ‘s plans to decouple the restrictions from the current alert levels and revise mobility restrictions in the country next month.
Marcos also advised the DOH to help adjust the alert levels if the eligible population gets booster shots.
The health agency, for their part, said that they are working to administer booster doses to the eligible population before the start of September — the projected period where the country may see an increase in hospital utilization rate.
