Isko Moreno urges national government to prepare for Omicron

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Mayor and 2022 presidential aspirant Isko Moreno has appealed to the national government to prepare for the threat of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease while keeping the country’s economy running. He said both the national and local governments should invest in medicines that could cure COVID-19 as well as in medical equipment and facilities, which could keep the disease at bay. “We should be buying Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, Baricitinib and Molnupiravir. Let’s stock on oxygen, build facilities. If used, then thank you. If not, we’d still be thanking. At least we are prepared,” he said in Filipino during his “listening tour” in Naic, Cavite yesterday. The city government previously procured around 40,000 capsules of Molnupiravir and over 6,000 tablets of Baricitinib. Both medications were given authorization for emergency use to treat COVID-19 symptoms. It has also built a field hospital at Quirino Grandstand, one that is exclusive for COVID-19 patients. Moreno said the national government should also keep the jobs that have been restored after almost two years of lockdowns. Previously, he criticized the national government over the purchase of billions worth of COVID-19 medical supplies and its insistence on enforcing the use of face shields.

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