
The Department of Health (DOH) said it has observed a sharp spike of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Mindanao.
The increase in COVID-19 cases in the country has become “more evident in the past week,” particularly in Mindanao, said DOH Epidemiology Bureau OIC Director Dr. Alethea De Guzman.
“The Mindanao cases as a whole has outspaced or is higher than the number of cases we are seeing now in the rest of Luzon and even in NCR (National Capital Region),” said De Guzman in an online forum on Thursday.
Based on the DOH data presented by De Guzman, Zamboanga Peninsula has registered a six-percent increase growth rate, Northern Mindanao with 64 percent, Davao Region with 67 percent, Soccksargen with 53 percent, Caraga with 78 percent, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have 38-percent growth rate.
The spike in cases in Mindanao can be attributed to the presence of COVID-19 variants and the people’s complacency in adhering to the health protocols.
“I think of the regions in Mindanao na nakakakita tayo recently ng medyo dumami yung numero ng variants of concern was in Region 9 (I think we are seeing a rise in the number cases of variants of concern in the regions of Mindanao, particularly in Region 9),” said De Guzman.
“The core of it was adhering/compliance to the minimum public health standards,” she added.
Another factor would be the public’s confidence on COVID-19 vaccines.
“Yung pag nabakunahan you feel good eh, you feel that protection... Pero ang hinahabol natin ngayon sa bakuna natin is protection on the severe and critical disease. Nabakunahan ka or hindi, mag MPHS (minimum public health standards) pa rin tayo (When you get vaccinated, you feel good, you feel that protection. But the vaccine only protects us from having severe or critical disease. Whether you are vaccinated or not, follow the MPHS),” said De Guzman.