The Department of Health (DOH) has acknowledged the upward trend in the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases being reported daily, but noted that the spike remained controllable.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that they have already received reports of an increasing number of patients being admitted in hospitals.
“We have been receiving reports na meron talagang pagtaas ng numero sa mga pasyente sa ating mga ospital for COVID-19 cases (that there is an increase in the number of patients in our hospitals for COVID-19 cases),” said the DOH spokesperson during a public press briefing on Saturday, March 6.
“Pinapatawag namin ang mga heads ng hospital and regional directors para makita natin yung mga causes and 'yung ating mga kailangan gawin (We will be having a meeting with the heads of different hospitals and regional directors so we can determine the causes and what we need to do),” she added.
Aside from hospitals’ heads, the DOH will also have meetings with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and with the Metro Manila mayors, said Vergeire.
The DOH observed an increasing trend of cases in Metro Manila, Central Visayas, and Cordillera Administrative Region, said Dr. Althea de Guzman, medical specialist at the DOH Epidemiology Bureau during a media forum on Wednesday, March 3.
Currently, the healthcare utilization rate for COVID-19 cases is still below 50 percent, said the DOH spokesperson.
“Nothing is uncontrollable at this point. We are trying to manage it. Actually nakaganda po yung naghanda talaga tayo simula nung November na pinataas natin yung mga number of beds sa hospitals, prinepare natin yung mga hospital na sila ay magkaroon ng adequate capacity (Nothing is uncontrollable at this point. We are trying to manage it. Actually, we have really prepared since November--- we have increased the number of beds in hospitals, we are preparing the hospitals so that they will have adequate capacity),” said Vergeire.
“Kung makikita nyo since November, ang hospital capacity, hindi po tayo tumataas sa 50 percent and that is going to work for us right now---- that we can accommodate more patients kung sakali (If you can observe since November, the hospital capacity--- we have not increased to 50 percent and that is going to work for us right now ---- that we can accommodate more patients just in case),” she added.
Vergeire said that they are not discounting the possibility of placing a specific area under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) if the surge in cases continues.
“Atin pong binabantayan ang ating sitwasyon. Hindi po natin masasabi ngayon na we can assure you na walang mangyayaring ECQ. Pag dumating tayo doon sa punto na kailangan muna natin isara ang ating mga siyudad dahil po sa nangyayari, gagawin po iyan as an additional measure (We are monitoring our situation. We cannot say now that we can assure you that no ECQ will happen. When we get to the point where we need to close our cities because of what is happening, we will do that as an additional measure),” she said.
“Pero kailangan din maintindihan ng ating mga kababayan, itong desisyon na iyan ay puwedeng hindi mangyari kung tayo ay tutulong sa gobyerno by complying with the minimum health protocols that we have (But the public also need to understand, this decision may not happen if we help the government by complying with the minimum health protocols that we have),” she added.
Vergeire said that it is imperative to follow the minimum health standards amid the detection of South African and United Kingdom variants of coronavirus.
“Oo, may mga variants tayo na nadetect natin. Pero ang kailangan natin isipin kaya po nagkaroon ng kaso because we did not comply with the health protocols. So kung nakikita natin na patuloy pa rin ang mga non-compliance to minimum health protocols, definitely, tataas ang kaso (Yes, we have detected variants. But we need to understand that cases emerge because we did not comply with the health protocols. If the non-compliance to minimum health standards continues, definitely, the cases will rise). And, the variants are just aggravating factors,” said Vergeire.
“Kailangan natin lahat mag ingat, kailangan natin tumupad sa mga kailangan natin gawin. Dahil kung hindi natin makokontrol ito, baka maooverwhelm ang ating sistema. Kailangan natin tulungan ang gobyerno sa panahong ito (We all need to be careful, we need to fulfill what we need to do. Because if we can’t control this, our system might be overwhelmed. We need to help the government at this time),” she added.