Treatment czar Leopoldo Vega said Monday, July 19, that the Department of Health (DOH) is eyeing to increase hospital capacities amid the threat of the more transmissible Delta variant.

Vega said the Health department is looking to increase the capacity of Level 3 hospitals to make sure they have adequate intensive care units (ICUs), ventilators, high flow oxygens, and medicines for severe and critical COVID-19 patients.

"Binigyan namin ang private at public hospitals ng contingency plan kung aakyat ang bilang ng number of cases natin ng COVID-19 (We have given private and public hospitals a contingency plan if the number of our COVID-19 cases increases)," Vega said during a virtual Palace press briefing.

"Ang pinapalakas namin staffing ng hospitals, makasiguro kami ng deployment sa other agencies, at emergency hiring po namin sa DOH (We are also increasing the staffing of hospitals, ensuring deployment from other agencies, and strengthening our emergency hiring from DOH)," he added.

Vega said DOH will also provide high-flow oxygen machines to high-risk areas.

"Hindi lang yung space at structure ng hospital yung i-improve natin, making sure na maka-allocate tayo ng intensive or critical cases for those allocated beds and also the staffing and the services (We will not only improve the space and structure of hospitals, we will also make sure that we can allocate beds, staff, and service to intensive and critical cases)."

As of July 18, 55 percent of ICU beds, 46 percent of isolation beds, 43 percent of ward beds, and 35 percent of ventilators are being used nationwide.

The DOH confirmed 35 cases of Delta variant in the country, 31 of them have already recovered from COVID-19.