MANILA, Philippines — The independent pandemic monitor Octa Research group hopes the rise in COVID-19 cases caused by the highly infectious Omicron variant will end by March or April this year.
Guido David, an Octa fellow, said this is not guaranteed yet.
Despite the decrease of cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, David said the wave may take longer to decline since some areas are only now experiencing a spike, and others have yet to see one at all.
“Medyo matatagalan’ yung Omicron wave. ‘Yung 1,000 or less [cases] per day sa buong bansa, ay medyo matatagalan ‘yun,” he said in a Laging Handa public briefing when asked if the country can still revert to the pre-Omicron period where cases dropped to as low as below 1,000 a day.
(That may take longer.)
“We’re hoping na by March to April tapos na ‘yung Omicron wave sa buong bansa natin, which means baka makikita natin ‘yung less than 1,000 a day pero hindi pa guaranteed ‘yun,” he added.
(We’re hoping that this Omicron wave in the country will end by March to April, which means we will see again less than 1,000 cases a day, but that is not a guarantee.)
Octa earlier noted an increase of COVID-19 cases in areas outside of the three major hotspots for COVID-19: Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.
READ: OCTA sees rise in new COVID-19 cases outside NCR, C. Luzon, Calabarzon
The Philippines has been logging over 20,000 to 30,000 COVID-19 cases a day since January, bringing active cases to over 200,000.
This spike has been attributed to the Omicron variant and the decreased compliance of minimum public health standards during the holiday season.
Health Francisco Duque III earlier said that the increase of cases in Metro Manila has already peaked, as daily infections have declined.
READ: COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila already peaked, says Duque
So far, the Philippines has logged 3,417,216 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 273,580 active cases, 3,090,164 recoveries, and 53,472 deaths.
READ: PH logs 29,828 new cases of COVID-19 — DOH
READ: 67 more deaths bring PH COVID-19 death toll to 53,472 — DOH