PH looming as SEA’s COVID-19 epicenter? It’s speculative, says testing czar

MANILA, Philippines — It is speculative to declare the Philippines as the potential epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Southeast Asia, the country’s testing czar Vince Dizon said Thursday as he stressed that the increase in the number of cases is due to the ramped-up testing efforts.

“Speculative ‘yun pero ang masasabi ko, dumami na ang testing natin. Tayo na ang pinakamataas sa Southeast Asia sa testing per day. Nasa halos 1.7 million na ang nate-test natin sa buong bansa. Mahigit 1 million diyan ay nasa NCR (National Capital Region) lamang at tuluy-tuloy nating gagawin ito,” Dizon said in a press briefing.

Dizon was reacting to a report from Singapore-based The Strait Times, which claimed that the Philippines “could soon become the new epicenter” for the coronavirus pandemic in Southeast Asia due to the continued rise in infections.

The Philippines on Wednesday reported 3,462 new COVID-19 infections, pushing the country close to overtaking Indonesia as the worst-hit county in the region.

As of Thursday, Indonesia has a total COVID-19 caseload of 116,871 while the Philippines has 115,980.

But in terms of active cases, the Philippines has 47,587, way higher from Indonesia’s 37,530.

The two countries account for the vast majority of Southeast Asia’s more than 300,000 infections.

Filipinos stranded due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions cram inside a baseball stadium for a government transportation program that while transport them back to their provinces, in Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manila, Philippines, July 25, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

Dizon pointed out that the increase in cases is only “normal” due to the country’s improved testing capacity and the increased contact among the population as a result of the relaxation of quarantine measures to reopen the pandemic-battered economy.

“Habang tayo ay nagtetest, talagang marami tayong makikitang positibo. Pero mas importante ‘yun kasi kung hindi natin sila mahahanap at hindi natin sila mai-isolate e lalong kakalat at lalong dadami ang magkakasakit,” he said.

The government has reimposed stricter lockdown measures in Metro Manila and nearby provinces until Aug. 18 to curb the rising cases of COVID-19 and heed medical frontliners call for a “timeout” to recuperate from exhaustion in battling the pandemic.

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