An official of the Department of Health (DOH) said over 3,000 healthcare workers are currently undergoing isolation amid rising number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
"Dito sa Metro Manila... mayroon kaming nakita kahapon na data na mga 3,114 ang bilang ng mga healthcare workers na naka-isolate (Here in Metro Manila... we have data yesterday that about 3,114 healthcare workers are under isolation)," said DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega in a public briefing on Thursday, Jan. 13.
"Ito ay mga 11 percent ng total ng health care workers na nasa government institution na 26,000 (This is about 11 percent of the 26,000 healthcare workers in government institutions)," he added.
Despite this figure, Vega said that the COVID-19 situation remains manageable.
“Nagkaroon talaga ng reinfections itong mga healthcare workers natin or iyong mga breakthrough, kasi sila iyong first line, nasa hospital na nakapagharap ng mga COVID-19 patients (These healthcare workers had reinfections or the so-called breakthrough because they are the first line in the hospitals that are catering COVID-19 patients),” said Vega.
“Manageable pa rin. Pero iyon nga, nagsta-strategize na rin ang ibang hospitals na magku-close ng ilang services nila like OPD (outpatient department treatment), special services at saka iyong mga elective surgeries nila, pinu-postpone muna, kasi alam nila na kailangan ma-cover nila iyong deployment for the health care workers doon sa COVID allocated areas nila (It is still manageable. But other hospitals are now strategizing also---some are closing their services like OPD, special services, and postponing their elective surgeries because they know they need to cover the deployment of healthcare workers in their COVID allocated areas),” he added.
The healthcare utilization rate in Metro Manila is still at the "border" between low and moderate risk at 60 percent, said Vega.