Duque: Comply with COVID-19 protocols, ready bed allocation as holiday surge looms

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reminded the public to comply with health protocols and hospitals to allocate beds for COVID-19 patients as it warned of a possible surge of virus infections during holidays.

In an online press conference, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III urged medical centers to comply with the COVID-19 bed allocation, which is 20 percent for private hospitals and 30 percent for public hospitals.

“As early as May, we have set these standards based on the projected needs and potential peak,” the DOH chief said.

He, likewise, reminded the local government units to strictly enforce minimum health standards in their respective communities.

“Complement this with active case finding and with immediate quarantine or isolation of close contacts and confirmed cases, respectively,” Duque said.

This after Duque warned that an increase of cases in nine cities of Metro Manila could signal the beginning of COVID-19 surge.

In the same press conference, Health Undersecretary Maria Roasario Vergeire cited that the reproduction number of national and Metro Manila increased from 0.8 to above 1.0. The reproduction number weighs the rate of contagion of disease in the community.

Meanwhile, Duque also noted a “sharp spike” of the COVID-19 infections in  Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley as well as Cordillera Administrative Region.

As of Dec. 16, DOH reported  451,839 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 nationwide, with 418,867 recoveries and 8,812 fatalities.

JE