DOH: COVID-19 cases seem plateauing in NCR but further study needed

(FILE) This photo taken on April 6, 2021, shows a man wearing personal protective equipment walking into a makeshift ward built for COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Manila. (Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 cases seem to be plateauing in Metro Manila but further study is needed to confirm if cases are dropping, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the positivity rate and other indicators in Metro Manila remain high.

“Base sa obserbasyon, atin naman pong sinasabi na oo, bumabagal po ang pagtaas ng mga kaso. Mayroon po tayong nakikita na parang nagpaplateau dito sa National Capital Region, but we do not only look at the number of cases kapag tayo ay nag-aanalisa ng sitwasyon,” Vergeire said in a Palace press briefing.

(Based on our observation, we can say that the increase in cases is slowing. We see that cases in the NCR seem to be plateauing, but we do not only look at the number of cases when we analyze the situation.)

Vergeire said the public should also consider other limitations during the surge driven by the Omicron variant. For instance, she noted that other people who experience symptoms only take antigen tests or just quarantine themselves.

“Kaya kami, nag-iingat po kami sa pagdedeklara ng pagbaba ng kaso. Gusto natin pag-aralan muna nang mas maigi, makita natin na talagang bumababa ang trends together with other factors that we consider saka tayo magsasabi,” she said.

(We want to be careful in declaring that cases are dropping. We want to study it better and see that the trends and other factors are declining before we can declare such.)

But whether cases are rising or dropping, Vergeire stressed that the public should not be complacent in observing health protocols.

“Ang bottomline naman po, let us not get complacent. Pareho pa rin dapat ang ating ginagawang protection sa ating sarili at pamilya,” said the health official.

(The bottomline is let us not be complacent. We should observe the same level of protection for ourselves and our families.)

“Kung sakaling bumababa talaga ang kaso dahil sa basis na analysis, mas maganda po ‘yan, but protection for ourselves should still continue,” she added.

(If cases are indeed decreasing, that is good, but protection for ourselves should still continue.)

Based on the COVID-19 tracker of the DOH, the country has 275,364 active cases of the disease as of Thursday. Majority of the cases, or exactly 109,503 active infections, are in Metro Manila.

RELATED STORIES

DOH: Too early to say COVID-19 cases are declining

Cautious optimism swirls around NCR as COVID cases decline

/MUF