MANILA—The Department of Health said Friday it will assemble members of the Philippine inter-agency task force focused on coronavirus response to discuss possible changes in minimum health standards in the country.

This, after the World Health Organization declared that Covid-19 no longer constitutes a global health emergency.

• COVID no longer a global health emergency: WHO

"The DOH will convene the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to discuss and reassess policies and other guidelines affected by the declaration," the DOH said in a statement.

"The DOH guarantees the Filipino people that all factors in determining our next action in line with the WHO’s proclamation will be considered and discussed for the approval of the President," it added.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier announced the declaration to reporters, estimating that the pandemic had killed "at least 20 million" people -- nearly three times the under seven million deaths officially recorded.

He warned the decision did not mean the danger was over, cautioning that the emergency status could be reinstated if the situation changes.

• COVID: No longer an emergency, but not going anywhere

The UN health agency first declared the so-called public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) over the crisis on January 30, 2020.

That was just weeks after the mysterious new viral disease was first detected in China and when fewer than 100 cases and no deaths had been reported outside that country.—With a report from Agence-France Presse