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(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — The country tallied 3,666 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1,367,894, the Department of Health said on Tuesday.

The number excludes data from 12 laboratories that failed to submit their reports on time.

The death toll is 23,809 or 1.74% of the case count after 60 more people lost their lives to the disease.

Active cases or currently sick patients are at 52,696 or 3.9% of the COVID-19 total with 91% experiencing mild symptoms, 4.2% without symptoms, 2% with severe symptoms, 1.4% in critical condition and 1.4% in moderate condition.

There are 1,291,389 recoveries or 94.4% of the number of cases after 6,810 more people were cleared of the coronavirus.

The DOH said it reclassified 56 survivors into fatalities after validation and removed 11 duplicates, including eight recoveries.

The 12 laboratories that failed to submit their reports contributed an average of 3% of samples tested and 3.1% of positive individuals in the last 14 days, the department added… Read More

(Manila Times) President Rodrigo Duterte has rejected the proposal of the Department of Education (DepEd) to hold face-to-face classes in areas where coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) risks are low, saying he cannot gamble on the health of children.

During a Cabinet meeting on Monday, Duterte told Education Secretary Leonor Briones that he cannot allow classes to resume unless everyone is vaccinated.

“Dito sa face to face [classes], I think I am not inclined to agree with you. I am sorry but mahirap (On face-to-face [classes]. I think I am not inclined to agree with you. I’m sorry but this is hard),” he said.

“I cannot gamble on the health of the children. I hope you understand,” Duterte added.

It was the third time Duterte rejected the DepEd’s proposal for the conduct of face-to-face classes.

Briones told the President that she understood and accepted his decision.

“What the executive decides, we support and we cooperate, especially on a professional matter such as this. So we are withdrawing our request in light of your decision and we fully accept your decision,” she said… Read More

(PhilStar) MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos covered by repatriation efforts of the government and manning agencies cleared by the quarantine bureau can still enter the Philippines despite the extension of the travel ban on passengers from seven countries, Malacañang clarified yesterday.

The government has extended the travel restrictions imposed on passengers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, United Arab Emirates and Oman until June 30 to prevent the entry of a more infectious COVID-19 variant.

The Philippines has been imposing the ban on passengers from India since April 29, and from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka since May 7. The scope of the restriction has been widened to include Middle Eastern countries Oman and United Arab Emirates.

“Let it be clear, however, that Filipinos covered by the repatriation programs of the government and repatriation activities of manning (or) recruitment agencies cleared by the Bureau of Quarantine are not prohibited from entering the Philippines,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

“They can enter the country, subject to testing and quarantine protocols. We hope this clarifies the matter,” he added.

Roque noted that the pandemic variant first detected in India is more transmissible, hence the need for continued vigilance.

He previously said the Philippines may keep its borders closed as a precautionary measure against more infectious COVID-19 variants.

As of yesterday, the Philippines has more than 1.35 million confirmed COVID-19 infections, with 57,679 active cases and 23,621 deaths.

Repatriations continue
The government has repatriated 347 distressed Filipinos, including five children affected by the pandemic, from Saudi Arabia, Malacañang said over the weekend.

The Filipinos were sent home during the official visit of President Duterte’s special envoy to Saudi Arabia and presidential assistant on foreign affairs, Robert Borje, to the Middle Eastern kingdom.

The visit seeks to boost bilateral ties between Manila and Riyadh, advance labor reform cooperation and promote the welfare of more than 800,000 Filipinos in Saudi Arabia.

The repatriates flew home through a Philippine Airlines chartered flight, according to a statement issued by Malacañang last Saturday. A second repatriation flight is expected next week. Upon their arrival in the Philippines, the repatriated Filipinos will be given financial assistance.

“I have instructed (the) Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to use Bayanihan 2 funds to give all repatriated OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) today P10,000 each as reintegration financial assistance,” Duterte said in a video message.

Bayanihan 2 is the extension of a law that funded the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The law allocated funds for repatriation-related expenses and other forms of assistance for OFWs affected by the health crisis.

A total of 403,234 overseas Filipinos had been repatriated by the government since the start of the pandemic.

Philippine officials also held a virtual town hall meeting with representatives of the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia last Saturday to discuss the concerns of migrant workers.

Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson pushed yesterday for the fast-tracking of standard quarantine protocols for vaccinated Filipinos, to benefit not just returning OFWs but also the economy.

The senator threw his full support behind the National Task Force against COVID-19’s move to draw up standard quarantine protocols for Filipinos vaccinated here and abroad, saying economic recovery cannot wait.

“Please make it sooner, not later. Mind the economy for a change,” he said on Twitter… Read More

(BusinessWorld) FOUR more Filipinos have been infected with the Indian variant of the coronavirus that has triggered a fresh surge in cases there, bringing the total to 17, Health authorities said on Monday.

Of the four, three were returning Filipino seafarers from a crew ship docked in South Korea, the Department of Health (DoH) said in a statement.

They were sent home on June 3 after testing positive for the more contagious variant of the virus, it added.

Two of the patients had completed their 10-day quarantine and were discharged, while one was still in the hospital, it said.

The fourth one is a returning migrant worker who arrived in Manila on May 24 and who had since recovered.

“The Delta variant is spreading rapidly worldwide,” Cynthia P. Saloma, executive director of the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center told a televised news briefing. “We can see it now in 80 countries,” she added, citing the World Health Organization.

There has been no community transmission of the Indian variant of the virus.

“So far, the Delta variant was only seen at ports of entry so there is no community transmission,” she said in mixed English and Filipino.

Manila should strictly enforce border controls to prevent the variant from spreading in communities, Ms. Saloma said.

The Delta variant is 60% more infectious, she said, noting that an infected person can transmit the virus to as many as eight people.

The Health department said 14 more people have been infected with the Alpha variant of the coronavirus, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, bringing the total to 1,085.

Of the total, 12 were locals, while two were still being verified, DoH said. Two people have died from the British variant of the virus, while 12 have recovered, it said.

DoH also reported 21 new cases of the Beta variant that was first detected in South Africa, bringing the total to 1,267. Of these, 20 were locals, while one was still being verified.

Twenty people have recovered, while one was still an active case, it added.

One new case of the Theta variant was also reported, DoH said. It is still verifying whether the person infected with the virus first detected in the United States is a local or a returning migrant worker.

The Theta variant is not a “variant of concern” since DoH needs more data to conclude whether it will have significant public health implications, it said.

DoH reported 5,249 coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the total to 1.36 million.

The death toll rose by 128 to 23,749, while recoveries increased by 7,053 to 1.28 million, it said in a bulletin.

There were 55,847 active cases, 1.3% of which were critical, 91.4% were mild, 4.1% did not show symptoms, 1.9% were severe and 1.32% were moderate.

The agency said 23 duplicates had been removed from the tally, 16 of which were tagged as recoveries.

DoH said 62 cases tagged as recoveries had reclassified as active cases and 45 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths. Eight laboratories failed to submit data on June 19… Read More

(GMA News) The Philippines is prepared to work with Saudi Arabia to improve 2access to COVID-19 vaccines as both nations sought to strengthen “multi-dimensional” ties.

In a Palace statement, Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Robert E.A. Borje turned over President Rodrigo Duterte’s letter to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Waleed Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji.

The letter, which was addressed to Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, stated Duterte’s statement that the Philippines is ready to closely work with Saudi Arabia to “improve access to vaccines.”

Al-Khuraiji said this will be “considered” by the Saudi Arabia government.

Borja, likewise, said the Philippines thanked Saudi Arabia government for including Filipinos in it testing and inoculation program.

Aside from this, both nations reaffirmed their ties to uphold the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as well to coordinate in the battle against COVID-19.

Also, the “transformative cooperation” of Saudi Arabia and Philippines include “countering terrorism and violent extremism, trade and investment, support for development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), public health security, and cooperation in inter-regional and international fora.”

For his part, Al-Khuraiji said Saudi Arabia hoped for a lasting peace and development in Mindanao.

“The Saudi Arabia official also welcomed the initiative to ramp up international cooperation for peace and development in BARMM and Marawi, and said that Saudi Arabia will consider a partnership for Mindanao development,” the statement also read… Read More

(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — Only tourists will be temporarily allowed to swim on the beach of Boracay in the municipality of Malay, Aklan to control the spread of COVID-19 in the area.

Acting Malay Mayor Frolibar Bautista told CNN Philippines’ New Day on Monday that residents will be temporarily barred from swimming to prevent possible transmission brought by local gatherings.

“Meron naman tayong mga safeguards. May mga pulis, meron tayong PNP (Philippine National Police) na magmonitor. Ang problema kasi during fiesta ng San Juan, karamihan ng mga tao nasa beach o rivers,” Bautista said.

[Translation: We have safeguards. There are members of the PNP who will monitor. The problem is during the feast of St. John (the Baptist), people are usually on the beach or rivers.]

“We are informing the public that the local government unit of Malay is prohibiting the celebration of San Juan in the beaches and rivers within the municipality of Malay. This is because we have been celebrating (the feast) of San Juan traditionally through gathering by the beach or rivers,” the LGU’s June 20 advisory read.

Bautista said locals can still stay on the shoreline, but gatherings will be strictly prohibited.

Governor Florencio Miraflores said in an interview on Saturday that such rule will be included in the executive order to be released soon by the Aklan provincial government. He said this policy will be in place because tourists who enter the island already present negative COVID-19 test results. So far, there are no details yet on the issuance of the order and its period of implementation.

“Tourists coming in Boracay present negative RT-PCR test result. They are not carrying any virus and the reason they come to Boracay is to experience the beautiful beach,” Miraflores said. “I will include temporary ban of swimming for Aklanon and Boracay residents in the EO”.

In a meeting by the Provincial inter-Agency Task force at Aklan Provincial Capitol last Friday, authorities also agreed to extend the implementation of stricter rules until July 6 due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in all areas of Aklan including Boracay.

Stricter rules include a liquor ban, point to point border control, extended curfew hours, and prohibition of social gatherings. Only essential workers are also allowed to go out.

Bautista said over 700 tourists enter Boracay daily.

Meanwhile, the municipality’s vaccine drive is ongoing for A1 (health workers), A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (persons with comorbidities), he added… Read More

(BusinessWorld) PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte may simply leave the fate of the military pact with the United States to the hands of his successor and maintain the administration’s current relations with both America and China, according to analysts.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. announced last week that the President suspended for another six months the termination the visiting forces agreement (VFA) between the US and Philippines, which allows the entry of American troops in the country for joint drills.

Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, research fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center, said Mr. Duterte may choose not to make a final decision on whether the VFA should be terminated.

“I am not particularly confident that President Duterte will make a firm decision on the fate of the VFA before his term ends. I think more than likely, he will just let the next President take on this matter in his term,” he told BusinessWorld via email.

“I think delaying the abrogation of the VFA, while at the same time insisting on his personal appeasement policy stand with regards to our troubles in the West Philippine Sea, is a delicate balancing act which he has been successful at doing. So why change tactics so close to the elections, right?” he added.

Renato C. de Castro, international studies professor at the De La Salle University, said there are chances that Mr. Duterte would again extend the suspension by another six months in November.

“It will be up to his successor to determine whether we will sign or of course do away with the visiting forces agreement. So, he’s leaving it to his successor,” he said in a phone interview… Read More

(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — The Philippine government has signed a supply agreement for 40 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, the biggest vaccine procurement for 2021.

“We are very happy to report that the government and the management of Pfizer have finally concluded our negotiations. Secretary Duque and I signed yesterday the supply agreement for the biggest and most decisive deal we had for 2021,” said National Task Force against COVID 19 Chief Implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. in a statement on Sunday.

A term sheet for the procurement inked in May detailed all the conditions and offers for the supply.

Galvez said the deliveries of the vaccine would start “eight weeks starting August.”

He added the Pfizer vaccines would be delivered to all provinces and regions through what he called “hubs and spokes,” and urged local government units to be ready for the arrivals.

“We again emphasize for LGUs to ensure third party logistics and cold chain service providers for very sensitive vaccines like Pfizer, Moderna and Sputnik V. We don’t want any vaccine to be wasted because of spoilage and mishandling, “he said.

In the statement, Galvez said the procurement of the vaccines would be done through a multilateral arrangement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), saying the loan funds through multilateral partners — like the ADB — follows a direct disbursement scheme wherein payments are paid directly by the fund manager to the vaccine manufacturer… Read More