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The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday welcomed the extension of the declaration of a state of calamity in the country as a means to sustain the response to Covid-19, as confirmed cases rose to 291,789.
Of the confirmed cases, 56,097 (19.2 percent) are active cases, 230,643 (79.0 percent) have recovered, and 5,049 (1.7 percent) have died.
The Undersecretary of Health, María Rosario Vergeire, said that the extension of a state of calamity would mean a better response to Covid-19.
Previously, BusinessMirror quoted private economists and analysts as saying that while the extension bodes well for the economy, the government must always observe prudent spending to conserve scarce resources.
“[With] the signature of [extension] from the state of calamity, we can say that we can ensure a swift and rapid response for the treatment of Covid-19, ”said Vergeire.
He emphasized that it would be easy to mobilize national government agencies and local government units to obtain the necessary resources.
On September 16, President Duterte signed Proclamation 1021 extending the state of calamity “for a period of one year,” or from September 13, 2020 to September 12, 2021, “unless lifted or extend earlier as circumstances warrant. “
The proclamation also underscored the growing number of positive cases and deaths from Covid-19 “despite efforts and interventions to contain it.”
On the other hand, the law enforcement agencies, with the support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, were ordered to continue to take all necessary measures “to guarantee peace and order” in the affected areas.
