MANILA, Philippines — The rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide cannot be classified as a surge, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Saturday.
“Let us not call it a surge. When you talk about a surge, it’s a sudden increase in the number of cases,” she said at the Laging Handa briefing.
“Kapag tinignan po, tuloy-tuloy po ang pagtaas ng mga kaso albeit medyo mabagal naman po ang pagtaas pero kailangan lahat tayo cautious.”
(If you look at the numbers, the reported cases are increasing gradually but we still have to be cautious.)
Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire
Vergeire noted that around 350 COVID-19 infections per day are being reported nationwide, which she said is a 50 to 60 percent leap from previous periods.
Meanwhile, the daily average of cases in Metro Manila has likewise risen from 102 to 170, according to the health official.
“Although there are severe and critical cases being reported pero hindi po siya ganun ka-significant pa sa ngayon,” she added.
(Although there are severe and critical cases being reported, it isn’t too significant as of now.)
Most health facilities across the archipelago have admissions less than their 20 percent capacity, but Vergeire disclosed that the DOH is closely monitoring increasing numbers of hospital utilization in several areas of Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and Caraga Administrative Region.
She stressed anew that the rise in COVID-19 infections might have been triggered by the presence of new and highly transmissible Omicron subvariants in the country, as well as the increased mobility and “waning immunity” of the general population.
(REUTERS/file photo)
The Department of Health on Wednesday said more than 69.8 million Filipinos had been fully vaccinated against the virus, but only around 14.6 million have availed of their first booster dose.
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