COVID-19 cases projected to spike despite lockdowns — DOH

MANILA, Philippines — Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Saturday said that COVID-19 cases in the country will continue to rise despite the imposition of stricter quarantine measures in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

“Amin pong nakikita, based also on projections, na tataas pa rin po ang mga kasong ito. Ito pong ginagawa natin ngayong paghihigpit na mga quarantine restrictions or classifications, ang ating adhikain diyan is to delay further increase pero hindi niyan patitigilin,” Vergeire explained in a Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.

(With what we see, and also based on projections, COVID-19 cases will continue to increase. The stricter quarantine restrictions or classifications implemented is aimed at delaying the further increase of cases but will not stop the same.)

DOH response

Vergeire said that the Department of Health is also working on different responses and processes to address the high number of infections.

These include the expansion of beds in various facilities nationwide,  more intensive care units, and prepositioning oxygen supplies, medicines, and testing kits, among others.

Residents of Imus, Cavite avail of the free COVID-19 antigen tests offered by the OVP’s Swab Cab initiative. (PHOTO BY JAY GANZON / OVP)

Delta variant community transmission

Moreover, Vergeire reiterated that they cannot officially declare a community transmission of the more contagious Delta variant, but the DOH is acting like there already is as different parts of the nation have recorded a Delta variant case.

“Katulad ng lagi naming sinasabi, bagamat hindi pa natin ma-officially declare na may community transmission sa ating bansa, we are now acting as if there is really community transmission dahil nakikita na ho natin ‘yung epekto na mabilis na tumataas ang mga kaso,” the health official said.

(Like what we always say, although we cannot officially declare that there is community transmission in our country, we are now acting as if there is really community transmission because we already see the effect of rising cases.)

Active cases

Vergeire said that despite the heightened community quarantine classifications imposed, active cases in Metro Manila alone may soar to around 18,000 by the end of September, based on initial projections.

Active infections, meantime, may rise to up to as much as 32,000 if the National Capital Region remained under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions.

On Friday, the government reported 10,623 new COVID-19 cases nationwide,  the most since April 17, 2021.

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