The Department of Health (DOH) said there is a possibility that the country's active coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases may drop further to at least 22,000 by mid-November if the health protocols and other measures will be maintained.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said strict adherence to minimum public health standards as well as aggressive detection and isolation of positive cases have an important role in achieving such COVID-19 figures by this month.
"Kapag na-maintain natin ang current mobility natin sa ngayon... na-maintain natin yung compliance natin to minimum public health standards, at detection to isolation natin ay nasa limang araw or less, tayo ay magkakaroon ng active cases na 22,000 by Nov. 15 (If we maintain our current mobility... we maintain our compliance to minimum public health standards, and our detection to isolation can be done to five days or less, we will have 22,000 active cases by Nov. 15)," said Vergeire on Saturday, Nov. 6
As of Nov. 5, the total number of active COVID-19 infections or those who are still sick is at 37,377.
If the measures, however, will not be maintained, Vergeire said that there is a possibility that the Philippines may once again see more than 50,000 active cases.
"Kapag nawala o tumaas ang mobility natin, ang ating active cases sa buong Pilipinas may reach up to 52,393 (If these will not be maintained or we have increased mobility, our active cases throughout the Philippines will reach up to 52,393)," she said.
"Kung tayo ay magluluwag nang husto sa ating mga ginagawa, hindi tayo gagawa ng safety protocols, hahaba ang detection to isolation sa komunidad, at saka ang ating mobility ay tataas pa rin, maaaring ganitong klaseng numero na meron tayo ngayon ay ganun pa rin hanggang sa end of December (If we relax restrictions too much, we will not follow the safety protocols, the time of detection to isolation in the community will be long, and our mobility will increase, maybe that kind of number will still be the same until at the end of December)," she added.
Vergeire said that it will “depend on how all of us will try to cooperate so that we can be able to sustain” this decreasing number of COVID-19 cases.
“Ang patuloy na pagbaba ng kaso dito sa ating bansa and specifically to NCR, nakasalalay iyan sa ating lahat. Kung tayo ay patuloy na susunod sa ating mga safety protocols, kung ang ating mga local governments ay patuloy na gagandahan and i-intensify ang pagresponde tulad ng contact tracing, testing, isolation---tayo ay makakapag bukas pa ng ibang sektor (The continuous drop in cases here in our country and specifically in NCR--- that depends on all of us. If we continue to follow our safety protocols, if our local governments continue to improve and intensify responses such as contact tracing, testing, isolation --- we will be able to open up other sectors),” she added.