MANILA, Philippines — The government’s COVID-19 task force has allowed the Physician Licensure Exams to proceed this year, Malacañang announced Friday, July 24, 2020.
The examination is tentatively scheduled on September 20 and 21, 2020, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
“The conduct of the examination will be held under observance of the strict protocols set by the Department of Health,” Roque added.
The Physician Licensure Examination was initially scheduled on March 8, 9, 15, and 16, 2020 but the two latter dates were postponed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases also approved the country’s participation in the Gavi COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility “including the corresponding allocation of funds,” Roque added.
According to the World Health Organization, the COVAX facility is a mechanism designed to “guarantee rapid, fair, and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.”
Further, Roque said the creation of a technical working group to study possible amendments to the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act was created.
The Department of Health will chair the group while the members will include the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.