WHO attributes spike in COVID-19 cases to vaccine optimism, new variants
MANILA, Philippines — Optimism in the vaccine and the presence of newer and more infectious coronavirus variants are some of the reasons that are evident behind the rise in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday.
WHO Country Representative to the Philippines Rabindra Abeyasinghe said the arrival of vaccines has caused people to be lax in complying with minimum health protocols.
People also tend to leave their homes more often, partially due to their long quarantine and lockdowns.
“With the arrival of vaccines in many countries, there was an optimism that people can go back quickly to the way they lived a life before the pandemic,” he said.
“These little changes with compliance with protocols are believed to have caused an opportunity for the virus to transmit more freely,” he added.
The rise in COVID-19 cases is not only happening in the Philippines but also in several other countries.
This increase could also be attributed to new coronavirus variants, which are thought to be more contagious, WHO said.
“It is also, to some extent, linked to the circulation of new variants that are thought to have increased transmissibility,” Abeyasinghe said.
The Philippines reported another high spike in the new cases of COVID-19 on Monday at 8,019.
This brought the number of active cases to 80,970.
abc
For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.
