Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said Monday the country may move out from the alert level system around March or April this year as part of its “exit plan” from the pandemic. Concepcion said the private sector will be coming up with a plan to ensure safe reopening of the economy despite the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. “The idea is to reach a point wherein there are no more alert levels,” he said during the Laging Handa public briefing. “I think we will eventually get there. I think by March, sometime that period, or maybe April, we

The Quezon City government has expanded its vaccination sites to 140 in order to protect more residents and workers against mild and severe symptoms of Covid-19. Health centers, malls, schools, community venues, churches, and special venues like the Quezon Memorial Circle have been converted into inoculation hubs. The city government also conducts vaccination activities in subdivisions and private companies, government agencies, and care homes. Limited walk-in slots are allotted in mall sites, where vaccinees must first claim stubs and return at the time indicated. Walk-ins are likewise accommodated when supplies exceed the number of registered vaccines. Also ongoing are home

The number of new infections and active cases of Covid-19 in the country has declined Monday with the Department of Health reporting 14,546 new cases. The DOH daily Covid-19 bulletin show that active cases is now at 190,818 as compared to Sunday’s 202,604. Of the active cases, 177,584 were found to have mild symptoms, 8,239 asymptomatic, 3,126 moderate symptoms, 1,540 severe symptoms, and 329 in critical condition. There are 25,600 new recoveries, bringing the country’s total to 3,315,381 recoveries or 93.1 percent of all reported infections. A total of 112 new deaths were also reported, up from Sunday’s 20, with

With the easing of travel restrictions and lowering of alert level in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, balancing health and economy will be possible by continuing the vaccination drive against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), an adviser to the President said. During the Laging Handa public briefing Monday, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said the government should strengthen its vaccination program in Visayas and Mindanao as well as other parts of Luzon to achieve at least 70 to 80-percent vaccination rate in these areas. This will give Filipinos the protection from getting severe Covid-19 cases and will

Children aged 5 to 11 will only receive their coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine if the parents would give their consent, an official of the Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas said Monday. Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, DOH-7 chief pathologist, said in a Visayas Vaccination Operations Center (VVOC) briefing that this policy was emphasized under Department Memorandum No. 2022-0041 issued by the Office of the Health Secretary. She said the guidelines also stipulated that guardians, apart from the parents, may accompany the children to the vaccination site. “But in our meeting with the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS)-Central Visayas Chapter

Initial harvest of vegetables from three farms in this town employing precision farming with the use of drip irrigation were shared with medical front-liners and patients of government hospitals in the province. Mayor Maria Angela Garcia said on Monday, 168 kilograms (kgs) of tomatoes and 83 kgs. of eggplants were distributed for free to those in the district hospitals in Dinalupihan, Mariveles, Bagac and Orani, the mega quarantine facility in Orani, the Mariveles Mental Wellness and Medical Center and the Bataan General Hospital in Balanga City. Last January 26, Wilfredo Adriano began harvesting 1.8 tons of tomatoes from his farm