The Philippines ranked eighth among countries with the most COVID-19 cases in the past 28 days, according to the global tracker of the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine based in Maryland.

Low annual budgets as well as turf issues among hundreds of government agencies are seriously hampering the development of the information and communications technology infrastructure in the public sector, badly needed in times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said yesterday.

A House leader has filed a bill that seeks the abolition of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management which was linked to the purchase of overpriced COVID-19 supplies from an undercapitalized Palace-favored firm.

The Department of Health said yesterday that there is still no recommendation from the All Expert Group to administer COVID-19 vaccines among minors aged 12 to 17 years old.

The COVID-19 alert level system will not yet be implemented nationwide next month, a Malacañang official said yesterday.