MANILA — Despite an uptick in COVID-19 infections in several countries, the Department of Health said Friday cases in the Philippines continued to decline.

“Pa-decrease yung COVID natin. Ang pataas sa atin ay yung other influenza-like illnesses dahil tag-ulan. Pagdating ng tag-ulan, tumataas talaga ang kaso ng trangkaso,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said.

(Our COVID cases are decreasing. What is on the rise are other influenza-like illnesses because of the onset of the rainy season. Once the rainy season sets in, there will definitely be an increase in influenza-like illnesses.)

The health chief said that while there was no need for additional measures to control the spread of the virus, the agency encourages masking, especially for vulnerable groups and those in hospitals.

COVID still here; infections seen growing in several countries

The World Health Organization said COVID-19 vaccines continued to be effective against globally circulating variant — including the NB.1.8.1 which was recently categorized as a variant under monitoring.

In the Philippines, however, vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 are no longer being offered.

“Ang vaccines natin were only given emergency use authorization, EUA, nung panahon ng pandemia. Wala sa kanilang nagparehistro ng bakuna. So technically, walang available na nabibiling bakuna sa Philippines ngayon,” Herbosa said.

(Our COVID-19 vaccines, at that time, were only given emergency use authorization or EUA during the height of the pandemic. None of them registered their vaccines. So technically, it’s not available commercially in the Philippines.)

Herbosa said should manufacturers decide to apply for a license in the Philippines, the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group would have to look into their vaccine.

The DOH said it believes that majority of Filipinos remain to have potent protection against COVID-19 from past infections, vaccination and boosters.

TIMELINE: The coronavirus disease crisis in the Philippines