Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, August 9, sounded the alarm on a new surge of COVID-19 cases as the average number of positive cases managed through her free teleconsult initiative rose by 200 percent.
Bayanihan E-Konsulta, Robredo’s free mobile medical consultation service, was launched on April 7 during the peak of cases in the National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus) bubble.
The vice president shared the average number of daily cases from April to August 2021. From an average of 375 cases a day in April, it went down to 248 daily cases in May, 67 daily cases in June, and 96 daily cases in July.
But Robredo noted that so far, August has logged an average of 209 cases a day, with 276 cases on August 6 and 306 cases today, August 9, as of 4:30 p.m.
READ: How to get online medical consultation with OVP’s Bayanihan E-Konsulta
“We’re definitely feeling the surge now so we’re making this plea to everyone to exercise extra precaution and strictly follow health protocols,” she said in a Facebook post.
The numbers may even be higher, Robredo explained, because “there is a lot more who sought our help who were not able to complete the registration process.”
Also, these averages only cover the NCR bubble. There are separate teleconsult programs in other parts of the country.
The intent of the Bayanihan E-Konsulta has been to help decongest hospitals in Metro Manila. In April, many COVID-19 positive patients were unable to find available hospital beds while some died in hospital parking lots while waiting for their turn in the emergency room.
READ: Robredo says COVID-19 response requires that ‘I get my hands dirty’
She called on the public to access the Bayanihan E-Konsulta’s Facebook page and send a message to the program’s team of medical and non-medical volunteers.
The Philippines recorded 8,900 new COVID-19 cases on Monday after logging 10,623 on Aug. 6 and 11,021 on Aug. 7.
Health experts fear that the rise in the number of cases is because of the more transmissible and contagious Delta variant that also drove a high number of COVID-19 cases in children.
First detected in India, the Delta variant is the driver of similar surges in Indonesia, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian nations.
In the Philippines, there are already 450 cases of the Delta variant. It has been detected in all 17 cities and municipalities in NCR, the DOH said.
A total of nine deaths have been recorded due to the Delta variant as of August 6.