ALL IN A DAY’S WORK Medical personnel, bundled up in protective gear, go through their routine inside an isolation tent at Manila Doctors Hospital in Manila. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — Lowering the alert level status in the country should be done gradually, a group of doctors said Friday as it warned that COVID-19 cases may rise again if people become complacent.
Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, said hospitals have been seeing a decreased number of COVID-19 patients but noted that the number of active cases is possibly “underestimated” because some people don’t get themselves tested.
“Medyo naman talaga bumababa na kasi nararamdaman din naman namin ‘yan sa hospital na mas kaunti na po ang mga kaso na nakikita namin although medyo marami pa rin. I guess ang pinag-aaralan namin dito, mas maganda siguro maghinay-hinay muna ang ating pamahalaan sa pagbaba ng alert level,” she said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Teleradyo.
(The number of cases has been decreasing and we have been feeling that in hospitals. But the numbers are still high. I guess what we want to say is the government should slow down in downgrading the alert level.)
She said the government should not rush to place parts of the country under alert level 1.
“Hindi naman tayo kailangan magmadali. Anyway lahat naman ay nakakalabas na, so I think walang dahilan para masyadong magmadali. The more na mas kailangan maghinay-hinay tayo para hindi tayo bumalik sa pagtaas muli ng COVID-19 cases,” she added.
(We do not need to rush. Anyway all people are now allowed to go out, so I think there is no reason for us to rush. We need to slow down more so that we will not witness another increase in COVID-19 cases.)
On Monday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the country may soon ease restrictions and move to the lowest alert level if COVID-19 cases continue to decline.
“Will these reach the threshold for alert level 1? Let’s wait a little longer,” said Duque.
“If COVID-19 cases continue to decline and reach the threshold appropriate for alert level 1 then we will do that. Nothing will prevent us from de-escalating to alert level 1 but the sooner the better,” he pointed out.
The country currently has 91,147 active COVID-19cases, including 3,788 new coronavirus infections reported on Friday.