DOH: High COVID-19 deaths logged due to late reporting; case trend plateauing

MANILA, Philippines — The high number of COVID-19 deaths recorded in the country is a result of late reporting, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Monday, noting that the current case trend is plateauing.

The Philippines on Sunday logged 2,227 fresh COVID-19 infections and 175 additional deaths.

“Ito pong mga namamatay ay hindi lamang po nangyari ngayong Nobyembre. Ito po ay mga vina-validate kasi ng local governments at saka sinusumite sa national government,” Vergeire said on TeleRadyo’s Kabayan, noting that some fatalities occurred from August to October.

(These deaths did not only happen in November. These are being validated by local governments then submitted to the national government.)

“Medyo late po dahil vina-validate pa po ng local governments ‘yan with the different implementing units nila,” she admitted.

(It is quite late since it is being validated by local governments with their different implementing units.)

The COVID-19 case trend, meanwhile, is plateauing, the health official stressed, saying that cases go up and down.

“So, sa ngayon po, plateauing ang ating mga trends. Ibig sabihin, ‘yun po dating mabilis na pagbaba ay nagpa-plateau. Bumabagal ang pagbaba ng mga kaso,” Vergeire explained.

(Currently, our COVID-19 trend is plateauing. This means that the previous quick decrease in cases is plateauing. The decline in cases is slowing down.)

According to Vergeire, the country’s current average of reported cases is at 1,436, lower by 28 percent from last week.

For Metro Manila, the average reported cases is 315, also lower by 28 percent from the previous week.

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