The Enterprise

The Official Student Publication of the School of Business and Accountancy
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State of Infection: Restoration of the Broken Passages

The pandemic has grown old for us. We naturally want to cut this as soon as possible given the numerous shocks that have affected the Philippines, including the COVID-19 health catastrophe, the quarantine restrictions that freezes the country’s economy, and the global economic downturn. The Philippines lifted many restrictions regarding the pandemic. Now, Filipinos are wondering if it will all be over as we start to see the end of this pandemic’s dark tunnel.

The future is a mystery to everyone, and the audience is left wondering what will happen next. However, for the time being, join us as we take you all back to a moment when we could finally see some light.

 

Fractured Road

July 9

The P4.038 billion which the Duterte administration’s Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) obtained for its COVID-19 response was not primarily managed, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

The DILG used approximately P3.46 billion, or 85.71% of the total expenses linked to the pandemic. It is in accord with the COA’s annual report for the DILG in 2021.

 

July 11

The Philippines reported an additional 10,271 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

 

Widening of Space

July 27

The Department of Health (DOH) permits those with comorbidities between 18 and 49 to obtain a second booster dose.

 

July 30

The DOH announced last July 30, from August 1 to August 15, Metro Manila would continue to be at Alert Level 1, the weakest COVID-19 alert status.

 

Unsteady Walls

July 31

The Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) of the health department responded to the allegedly postponed Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19 (HPAAC) regarding the cause of the expiration of the vaccines, emphasizing that the department follows the proper procedure to ensure the security and usefulness of vaccines.

 

August 2

According to the DOH, the Philippines has discovered its first two patients from Western Visayas carrying the sub-lineage of the Omicron variant known as “BA.2.75,” or the Centaurus subvariant.

 

Shielding Catastrophes

August 9

Maria Rosario Vergeire, DOH officer-in-charge, announced in a news conference that the department has started putting measures in place to test the wastewater where the COVID-19 cases originated.

 

The Storm

August 15

In its weekly tally, the DOH  recorded approximately 28,008 cases from August 8-14. 

 

According to Senator Risa Hontiveros, data from a DOH report indicated that over 20.7 million doses were wasted. Based on the report, vaccine wastage doubled to what it was last June at 8.42%

 

The Philippines was classified as a Level 3 or “High-Risk Level” for travel by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

August 17

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. declared an extension to the “State of Emergency” for COVID-19 until December 2022.

 

August 22

The Philippines logged over 23,883 new active cases from August 15-21. Despite this, a decrease of 15% occurred in the number of new cases compared to last week’s tally.

 

Expectations Versus Reality

August 24

As per the OCTA Research Group, despite the peak of COVID-19 ending in the NCR region, other areas of the nation should prepare for a more significant wave of infections due to the rise in current cases.

 

August 28

OCTA Research Group estimated that daily cases would drop in the middle of September, with the national positivity dropping by 5% at the end of September.

 

September 1

According to the Department of Budget Management (DBM), the DOH’s incomplete documentation prevented the DBM from releasing funds for the “One Covid-19 Allowance” for healthcare workers.

 

The DBM responded to the DOH’s earlier request for an additional P63 billion for the program in June by asking for the necessary budget breakdowns, segregation, claimant names, and other pertinent papers for those qualified for the “One COVID-19 Allowance”.

 

September 2

Vergeire urged government officials to extend the state of calamity in the country, sending a letter to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) with this plea.

 

The State of Calamity is due to end by September 12.

 

September 3

The Department of Education (DepEd) reported that since the start of face-to-face instruction, there had been no incidents of the virus spreading between students and teachers.

 

September 5

The DOH has logged over 17,145 new cases from August 29 to September 4. 

 

September 6

According to a report by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), among the 50,000 Filipino children who had COVID-19, there were 1,342 documented fatalities.

 

The Philippines recorded its lowest daily tally in two months, at 1,326 new active cases. 

 

Back to Normal?

September 7

Trixie Angeles, former Press Secretary, announced that mask-wearing would be voluntary nationwide.

 

September 11

More than 72.7 million Filipinos had received all their recommended vaccinations as of September 8; however, only 18.4 million got their first booster dose, and just 2.4 million received their second.

 

The DOH planned a special nationwide vaccination effort that will take place from September 26 to 30.

 

September 12

Malacañang Palace proclaimed Proclamation No.57, officially extending the State of Calamity until December 31, 2022.

 

An End in Sight

September 15

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), stated that the world has never been in a better place to end the pandemic even though the number of weekly reported deaths from the virus in the previous week was the lowest since March. 

 

“We’re not there yet, but the end is in sight,” he added.

 

In five regions, according to the organization, there were fewer cases of covid, with a remarkable 25% drop in the South-East Asia region.

 

September 26

The interval of September 19–25 had a significant 22% increase in new active cases, with a total of 17,891 extra cases added. The number of instances recorded each day was 2,556 on average.

 

Snap Back to Reality (or) A Grim Reminder 

September 29

Metro Manila was upgraded from low to moderate risk, while Undersecretary Vergeire highlighted that incidents are gradually increasing in 13 of the NCR’s 17 cities.

 

As per Dr. Jose de Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI), the DOH’s estimation of the number of current cases may not be accurate; it may be double that number. He noted self-administered antigen kits as the cause, noting they are not part of the final count.

 

September 30

The DOH reported that the number of COVID-19 Cases recorded in September had decreased by 34% compared to August.

 

The daily average number of cases in August dropped from 3,370 to 2,315 in September. 

 

Based on the occurrences, the pandemic’s tunnel comprises multiple turns, obstacles, and handy pathways. However, despite looking for specific solutions for several years, we are still unable to do so. Despite our being unsure of the actual year, the light at the end of the underpass is in sight. For the time being, one thing is quite clear: the future of the Filipino people is still an open question.

 

Favorably, the Philippines is presently undergoing a phase of recovery during which everyone is attempting to revert to the old normal. The number of cases has decreased in part due to the voluntary use of masks and the accessibility of vaccines and boosters. Regardless of their age or comorbidities, people are able to travel freely, and businesses may run at full capacity.

 

Despite our best efforts and sincere desires, life does not always go according to plan. We should keep an eye on things and act like responsible citizens when this new administration takes the helm so that we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s all look forward to the months left this year as we continue to follow health guidelines so that we can quickly reduce the prevalence of COVID-19.

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