Despite the easing of restrictions to revive the economy, there is general agreement that the pandemic is far from over. So every effort must be made to keep, if not increase, the health professionals who are manning the COVID frontlines.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines needs to urgently strengthen its 20-year-old Wildlife Protection Act to help stop potential outbreaks.

Incentives intended to encourage more Filipinos to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are now being studied by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Despite an increase in the number of people heading outdoors following the easing of quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila, violators of COVID-19 protocols have decreased under Alert Level 3, the Philippine National Police reported yesterday.

Local government executives outside Metro Manila want to defer the implementation of the new COVID alert level system until next month, saying the measure was “abruptly” decided.