Too early to lift the State of Public Health Emergency

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, head of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, stressed the need to continue implementing minimum public health standards amid recent proposals to lift the State of Public Health Emergency and make wearing of face masks optional in the country.

“It might be too early to lift the State of Public Health Emergency and the necessary health protocols imposed to contain the pandemic considering the continuing emergence of new variants,” said Go.

“These variants continue to cause an increase in hospitalization rates and we do not want to come again to a point where our healthcare system gets overwhelmed,” he added.

Go earlier authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11712 which provides for benefits and allowances to public and private HCWs during the state of a public health emergency.

He also supported the passage of Bayanihan 1 and 2 which allowed the government to better address the challenges caused by the pandemic and maximize available resources to aid low-income households and the healthcare sector as well as inject needed support to the economy.

“As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, the health and safety of our people are my primary interests. We cannot afford to lose all the sacrifices we had over the last two years, including the lives of our frontliners which we have lost forever,” Go said.