Olivarez cites improved referral system for slight ease in NCR hospital occupancy
By Dhel Nazario
Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the improved referral system in handling coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases led to the minor decline of occupancy rate of critical care facilities in the National Capital Region (NCR).

"Kasi inayos po natin ‘yung referral system, kaya po nagkakaroon ng overloading iyong ating mga hospital pati po ‘yung mga asymptomatic, pati mild dinadala sa hospital (We fixed the referral system because hospitals are being overloaded since mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases are being brought there)," Olivarez, who is also chairman of the Metro Manila Council (MMC), said in a DZMM interview.
He earlier mentioned in Parañaque City that they have been working with the Department of Health (DOH) to come up with an organized referral system where COVID-19 patients are assessed to find out what institution they should be sent to.
He added that now, asymptomatic patients will be brought to the extended isolation facilities that have been established in different Metro Manila cities.
COVID-19 active cases, according to Olivarez, are not too high anymore compared to two weeks ago.
"Hindi na katulad dati na nakapila sa emergency room, ngayon sa amin sa Parañaque pati sa ibang NCR cities sa aking pagkakaalam nasa 70 percent po ang ating occupancy (It's not like before that people line up at emergency rooms and as far as I know in Parañaque as well as other cities in NCR, the occupancy rate has gone down to 70 percent)," he added.
The OCTA Research Group recently said that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reproduction number in NCR has gone down to 0.93 for the week, April 18 to 24. The reproduction number refers to the number of people that a single COVID-19 patient can infect.
Despite these factors, Olivarez reiterated that local government units cannot afford to ease the quarantine status yet.