For an official of the World Health Organization, the increase in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases cannot be classified yet as the country experiencing a second wave.
WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe cited the lack of complete flattening of the curve as reason for this.
"In a sense, I wouldn't classify this as a second, because if you're talking of a second wave, we should have seen a complete flattening of the curve," he said in a virtual forum on Tuesday, March 9.
"And in the case of NCR (National Capital Region), we didn't see that kind of flattening. We always knew that there was quite a big chain of transmission although the numbers went down at some stage to three 400 on a daily basis," added Abeyasinghe.
He said the 3,000 plus cases reported on a daily basis is still significantly lower compared to the 6,000 plus cases that were reported at the height of transmission last year.
"But assessment is that we need to go back to ensuring that those public health measures are fully implemented, that the authorities fully implement the early detection, early quarantining and isolation of cases," he said.
"And if necessary very limited lockdowns in places...where we’ve seen clustering of cases to prevent further spread," added Abeyasinghe.
He said the local leadership should lead in this effort to ensure that "we don't have to go back to a situation that we had last July, August, when we had to go to more larger level lockdowns and quarantining of populations."
"It is important that we come together and have a coordinated level of implementation because although we are now detecting clustering of cases, in some cities, we are very closely looking whether it's just limited to these cities knowing the very nature of the way people travel between cities for work for business," Abeyasinghe said.
"We need to be quite clear that this clustering of cases and increase of cases is only limited to those cities, that we may see increases in other cities and this is why it's important that all cities come together and ensure uniform implementation of protocols," he added.