I- GLOBAL ISSUES

COVID 19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019
( COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified in
an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. Attempts to contain in there failed, allowing the virus to spread to
other areas of Asia and later worldwide. The world health organization (WHO) declared to outbreak a public health emergency
of international concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020, as of 11 December 2022, the pandemic had
caused more than 649 million cases and 6.65 million confirm deaths, making it one of the deadliest in history.

COVID-19 symptoms range from undetectable to deadly, and fatigue. Severe illness is more likely in elderly patients and those
with certain underlying medical conditions. COVID-19 transmits when people breathe in air contaminated by droplets and
small airborne particles containing the virus. The risk of breathing these in is highest when people are in close proximity, but
they can be inhaled over longer distances, particularly indoors.

The pandemic and responses to it damaged the global economy. On 27 February 2020, worries about the outbreak crushed US
stock indexes, which posted their Sharpest fall since 2008. Hundreds of millions of jobs were lost. Including more than 40
Million Americans. According to a report by Yelp, about 60% of US businesses that closed will stay shut permanently. The
international Labor Organization (ILO) reported that the income generated in the first nine months of 2020 from work across
the world dropped by 10.7 per cent, or $3.5 trillion.

Variants

Several variants have been named by WHO and labeled as a variant of concern (VoC) or a variant of interest (VoL). they
share the more infections D614G mutation. Delta dominated and then eliminated earlier VoC from most jurisdictions.
Omicron’s immune escape ability may allow it to spread via breakthrough infections, which in turn may allow it to coexist with
Delta, which more often infects the unvaccinated.

II-GOVERNMENT RESPONSE/SOLUTION

In response to the early phase of the pandemic, the government of the Philippines implemented travel restrictions, community
quarantine, risk communication and testing; however, the slow ramping up of capacities particularly on testing contributed to
unbridled disease transmission. The Philippines was one of the countries hit hardest by COVID-19 in the East Asia and Pacific
region. To manage the spread of the virus, authorities implemented strict quarantine restrictions and health protocols,
restricted mobility of people as wells as the operational of businesses.