MANILA (UPDATED) — All medical protocols on COVID-19 in the Philippines are lifted, the Department of Health (DOH) said late Saturday, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. terminated the public health emergency declaration due to the disease in the country.

"Consequently, the requirement for wearing masks in public transportation and other settings as specified in (Executive Order) 7 is now considered rescinded from a technical standpoint," Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in a statement.

Under EO 7 that Marcos signed in October last year, the use of face masks was mandatory in the following settings:

• Healthcare facilities, including but not limited to, clinics, hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes and dialysis clinics
• Medical transport vehicles, such as ambulance and paramedic rescue vehicles
• Public transportation by land, air and sea

For infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante, the lifting of the health protocols meant it was time for the country to "move on [from] this pandemic."

Solante said the development leaves private companies to decide whether they would still require employees to wear face masks or not, depending on the arrangements and situation in their workplaces.

But even with the lifting of the protocols, Solante urged those who show symptoms of COVID-19 and those who live in high-risk areas to continue protecting themselves.

"Hindi porke't tinanggal na iyong public health emergency eh wala na tayong COVID. COVID will be with us for so many years until such time na wala nang mai-report na cases," Solante told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

Meanwhile, as stated in Proclamation No. 297 that lifted the Philippines' COVID-19 public health emergency status, the DOH said the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) on COVID-19 vaccines and the payment of outstanding dues for the Health Emergency Allowance would still be in effect, and would be valid for one more year.

The extension would allow for the "depletion of remaining vaccine supplies," it said.

The issuance of Proclamation No. 297 last Friday ended the coronavirus public health emergency in the Philippines after more than 3 years.

In his proclamation, Marcos cited the continued immunization and decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, and the existing safety and travel protocols.

He said while the COVID-19 remains a "serious concern for certain subpopulations," the Philippines has maintained a sufficient healthcare system capacity and low hospital bed utilization rates.

"All prior orders, memoranda, and issuances that are effective only during the State of Public Health Emergency shall be deemed withdrawn, revoked or canceled and shall no longer be in effect," the proclamation read.

The lifting came months after the World Health Organization declared that it no longer considers COVID-19 as a global health emergency, but its European office clarified that the disease has "not gone away."

• WHO warns COVID 'has not gone away'

More than 4.17 million COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the Philippines as of Saturday, of which 5,199 are active. Up to 66,542 people succumbed to the disease.

The Philippines confirmed its first COVID-19 case in January 2020, involving a Chinese woman who arrived from Wuhan, China where the disease is believed to have first emerged.

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