Duque optimistic NCR hospitals ready for possible COVID-19 case surge under proposed MGCQ

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday expressed optimism that Metro Manila hospitals would be ready for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases should the capital region be placed under the more lenient modified general community quarantine. According to Duque, Metro Manila’s health care utilization rate for COVID-19 currently stands at 34%, which is perceived as low-risk.

No indemnification deal with Sinovac for COVID-19 vaccines, Palace says

The Philippine government was not required to sign an indemnification agreement with Chinese company Sinovac to receive its COVID-19 vaccines, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday. This week, Congress is set to pass bills — certified by President Rodrigo Duterte as urgent — that seek to establish an indemnification fund to compensate Filipinos who may experience serious side effects after being vaccinated against COVID-19.

Duterte rejects proposed resumption of face-to-face classes — Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte has thumbed down proposed trials of face-to-face classes, the Palace said Monday. Roque said the President told him in a call last night that he doesn’t want the lives of students and teachers to be put in danger given that the government's vaccination drive has not yet started.

FDA OKs emergency use of Sinovac, says China-made vaccines not ideal for frontliners

The country's Food and Drug Administration on Monday allowed the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech. Director General Eric Domingo, however, cautioned that it is not the best vaccine in the market to protect healthcare workers in the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After FIST, BSP wants bank secrecy, 3 other measures passed

Fresh from having a law that will help ease banks’ bad loan burdens enacted, the central bank wants Congress to pass four other measures aimed at helping the Philippine economy weather the ill effects of the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno urged lawmakers to pass four key bills that would improve consumer protection, ease bank secrecy laws, boost lending to the agricultural sector and provide financial support to troubled companies.

PH detects 18 more UK COVID-19 variant cases, 3 more cases of mutations
The Philippines has detected 18 more patients with the more contagious COVID-19 variant first found in the United Kingdom, and an additional 3 cases of coronavirus mutation, the Department of Health said Sunday. Three other cases are from the Cordillera Administrative Region, 2 of which are both 12-year-old males connected to the original cluster from Samoki, Bontoc, Mountain Province, according to the agency.

Over 200 million vaccine doses administered globally: Agence tally
More than 200 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered in at least 107 countries and territories, according to an AFP count based on official sources Saturday. In total 201,042,149 doses had been given worldwide by 1000 GMT -- a figure that does not include the latest data from China and Russia, who have stopped making their progress public in recent days.

SEC releases draft rules of FIST law

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released to the public on Friday the draft implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of a newly passed law that will help banks and financial institutions manage risk from piling bad loans amid the COVID-19 crisis. Based on the draft IRR, FISTCs must be formed and registered with the SEC within 36 months of the effectivity of the FIST Act for it to be incentivized.