Octa Research projects 500 daily COVID-19 cases by mid-March

ADDED CHALLENGE | The Department of the Interior and Local Government remains reluctant to support calls to further ease pandemic restrictions in Metro Manila, citing the difficulty of enforcing minimum health protocols in public spaces, especially with the start of the official campaign season for candidates running in local elections. (Photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines may have only around 500 daily COVID-19 cases by mid-March, based on the projections of independent analytics group Octa Research.

Currently, daily COVID-19 infections are around 1,000.

“We’re projecting na cases will either continue to decrease, although baka bumagal na ‘yung (it may slow down, the) rate of decrease, or baka mag- (it may) plateau na rin siya (too),” Dr. Guido David David, Octa Research fellow, said during Monday’s Laging Handa public briefing.

“We are actually projecting na it will continue to decrease. Hopefully, down to around 500 cases per day sometimes March, siguro (maybe) by mid-March,” he added.

The group earlier estimated that cases may decline to less than 1,000 by March.

On Sunday, the country registered 1,038 new COVID-19 infections, driving the overall case count to 3,661,049.

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