MANILA — The Philippines' health protocols remain effective against any COVID-19 variant, the Department of Health said Monday, amid a wave of COVID-19 infections in China.

According to the health agency, imposing additional restrictions on incoming travelers or any revision in the country's COVID-19 protocols should be science and evidence-based.

"Our current protocols remain effective against COVID-19, regardless of the variant," the DOH said in a statement.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire issued on December 31 a memorandum, calling for a heightened alert from all travelers from China.

The agency called for strict implementation of heightened border control and health protocols "in all of our borders and respective operating units."

"Particularly for incoming vessels with history of travel from China, we have imposed meticulous process to assess vaccination status, exposure, and symptoms. This shall be met with strict implementation of quarantine and isolation protocols as warranted," the DOH said.

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During her first media briefing for 2023 Sunday, Vergeire reminded the public that COVID-19 infections would continue to happen and eliminating transmission is impossible at this point.

This is why individual behavior now plays an extremely important role in managing viral transmission, she added.

The health official also said that while China is now experiencing a COVID-19 surge, the likelihood of a similar circumstance in the Philippines is far-fetched.

"Ang China, they had this zero-COVID policy at bigla nilang ni-lift at bigla namang tumaas ang kanilang kaso. Dito sa atin sa bansa, unti- unti nating inangat o in-ease ang ating restrictions. 'Di natin tinanggal ng biglaan. Binigyan natin ng pagkakataon na ma-imbibe ng ating komunidad at ng ating mga kababayan kung ano ang tamang behavior sa COVID," she said.

Vergeire added that what they are awaiting now is President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's decision on whether or not the country’s state of calamity due to COVID-19 will be extended.

Before the end of 2022, the DOH submitted a memo to the Office of the President recommending the state of calamity for another 3 months to ensure the unhampered implementation of government measures related to the pandemic.

The DOH is hopeful a decision will be released within the week.

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