Bicol Region at low risk for COVID-19; rest of the country at minimal risk

FILE PHOTO Medical Staff and Bureau of Fire Protection volunteers, fetch a person under investigation (PUI) of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in their residence to observe and to quarantine in the Bicol Regional Training & Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) in Albay province on April 2, 2020, Thursday. PHOTO BY MARK ALVIC ESPLANA / INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON.

MANILA, Philippines — Only the Bicol Region (Region 5) is at low risk for COVID-19 while the rest of the country is at minimal risk, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III reported.

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s address to the people aired Wednesday, Duque noted that COVID-19 cases slightly increased, but do not affect the country’s healthcare utilization rate.

“Ang Region 5 ay kasalukuyang nasa low risk habang ang natitirang mga rehiyon ay nananatiling nasa minimal risk,” he said.

(Region 5 is currently at low risk while the rest of the regions are at minimal risk.)

“Ang naitalang bahagyang pagtaas ng mga kaso ay hindi pa nakakaapekto sa healthcare utilization rate ng bansa, maging mga rehiyon,” added Duque.

(The slight increase in cases does not affect the healthcare utilization rate of the country.)

Based on the Department of Health’s (DOH) latest data, the country logged an additional 123 cases on Tuesday, driving the active cases to 11,580.

Surge ‘always a possibility’

Stressing that a COVID-19 surge is “always a possibility,” Duque shared the measures that the public should observe to avoid being infected — health protocol compliance and vaccination.

“Para po sa ating mga kababayan, ang tanging epektibong paraan laban sa surge ay pagsunod sa ating minimum public health standards. ‘Yun pa rin at ‘yun ang isa sa dalawang pinakamahalagang hakbang, ‘yun pong social measures—public health and social measures, at ang vaccination,” he said.

(To our fellow Filipinos, the only effective way to fight the surge is to comply with minimum public health standards. That is one of the important measures—public health and social measures, and vaccination.)

Earlier, the DOH warned that new COVID-19 cases may spike to around 25,000 to 60,000 per day in Metro Manila by mid-May, if compliance to minimum public health standards is reduced by 50 percent.

The World Health Organization urged the Philippines to prepare as COVID infections will likely increase, especially after the May 9 polls.

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