The country’s number of severe and critical Covid-19 cases might increase by August because of waning immunity and reduction in the compliance to the health protocols, the Department of Health (DOH).
“Base doon sa scenario kung saan nakapasok ang mas transmissible na variants, may reduction sa minimum public health standards, at saka booster uptake is mananatiling ganito na yung uptake is just this much, magkakaroon po tayo ng pagtaas sa pagkakaospital pagdating ng mga August of this year. And this would be around 4,800 plus (Based on the scenario where more transmissible variants have entered, there is a reduction in minimum public health standards, and then the booster uptake will be just this much, we will have an increase in hospitalizations by August of this year. And this would be around 4,800 plus),” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing on Wednesday, June 15.
Vergeire noted that this scenario is not “cast in stone” and this can still change. At present, there are 489 severe and critical Covid-19 cases nationwide.
“Lagi natin sinasabi, these are projections hindi po ito cast in stone na necessarily ay mangyayari talaga. Itong projections na ito ay ginagawa para makapag prepare tayo (We always say, these are projections, it is not cast in stone that will necessarily happen. These projections are being made so that we can prepare), so that we will be guided in our preparations and planning,” she said.
Vergeire urged all eligible Filipinos to complete their vaccination, especially the booster doses.
“Maiiwasan kung tayo lahat ay makakareceive na ng ating booster shots (It can be avoided if we can all receive our booster shots). We know and our experts are saying that the immunity of the population is getting low,” she said.
“Alam natin na (We know that) vaccines help us prevent severe infections and critical cases,” she added.
Face mask
In a television interview, Vergeire recommended the use of face masks until the end of this year.
“As part of the Department of Health and a medical doctor, I would say that I would still recommend until the end of the year,” she said during an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
“The mask not only protected us against Covid-19, it also protected us against other respiratory infections even with this monkeypox,” she added.
Vergeire also took a jab at the Cebu provincial government over the latter’s decision to make the face mask rule optional.
“Ang sinasabi po natin ngayon (What we’re saying now), if you as a local government would announce that to the public, that might be very risky, especially now that we are having this increase in cases, especially now that subvariants have entered the country, especially now that the country has waning immunity,” said Vergeire.
“So, this is something that would be perceived na baka pwedeng maluwag na maluwag na dito sa ating lugar (that the restrictions in this area was already relaxed) and that might be so risky for their population. Remember, the virus crosses borders. They say 'dito lang sa amin gagawin iyan eh' pero nagco-cross tayo ng borders (‘it will only be implemented here,’ but we are crossing borders). Everybody is traveling. This transmission will not stop if we are going to implement this way. We need to be one whole government, one whole country in implementing our protocols,” she added.