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It has been a long time since I have written about Covid-19 in this space. And for good reason. Since the Omicron-driven surge last January, the number of cases has been hovering in the low hundreds and severe cases and deaths have been very low. On top of these, hospital utilization has been very minimal. Is this the endemic phase of the coronavirus? Are we in the new normal where we all learn to live with the virus that has slowly morphed into becoming similar to the flu?

The slight uptick in daily Covid-19 cases last week is a reminder that the pandemic is still much around despite the small victories we achieved on the economic and health fronts. President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself has acknowledged after winning the May 9 elections that the pandemic remains a problem that his administration must deal with.

Today, June 15, is the birthday of my friend, the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. She would have been 77 years old and I imagine still as feisty and loving as I remember her. In my mind, Miriam occupies a place in the pantheon of great men and women this nation has ever produced and certainly one of the few politicians I admire and respect.