The Department of Health (DOH) warned the public against complacency, urging them to still strictly adhere to health protocols.
"We really have to have our own ambag. Alam ko nag aambag na tayong lahat pero konting tiis pa. Alam ko marami ng naghihintay sa bakuna and we are really looking forward to be vaccinated pero habang wala pa iyon, and even if you get that one or two shots, kailangan pa rin po talaga ng higit na pag-iingat (We really have to have our own contribution. I know we are all contributing but we need to have a little more patience. I know a lot of people are waiting for the vaccine and we are really looking forward to being vaccinated but while waiting for it or even if you get that one or two shots, you still really need to be more careful)," said Dr. Alethea de Guzman of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau in an online forum on Thursday, May 27.
De Guzman said that cases in the “NCR Plus” or the National Capital Region and its nearby provinces of Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, and Bulacan are now declining slowly.
However, a “continuous upward trend” of cases is observed in Visayas and Mindanao, said De Guzman.
The Health official encouraged the different local government units to implement granular lockdowns in their jurisdictions if they monitor a spike in cases in a certain area.
“We want to slowly shift to looser community quarantine restrictions and our LGUs are encouraged to utilize more granular lockdowns as possible,” said De Guzman.
De Guzman said that it is important to sustain the gains that were achieved during the implementation of strict quarantine measures in certain areas.
“It’s really being able to sustain everything that we are doing. Sabi ko nga, we’re doing well already pero minsan ang challenging sa atin is sustaining that efforts (As I've said, we’re doing well already but sometimes the challenge for us is sustaining the efforts),” she said.
“I know that a lot of LGUs are also tired pero it is a bit more push. We really need their help. Keeping our cases down entails a lot of work,” she added.
De Guzman said that “any potential increase in cases because of increased mobility can be countered if protocols and guidelines are being implemented well.”