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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Expert says COVID-19 cases may soar to 40,000 by mid-January

Expert says COVID-19 cases may soar to 40,000 by mid-January

Published Jan 3, 2022 12:40 pm

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases may peak at 40,000 in the middle of January if massive interventions will not be made, according to a professor.

People flock to Ilaya street in Binondo, Manila to shop on Jan. 2, 2022. Metro Manila will be placed under Alert Level 3 starting Jan. 3 until Jan. 15 due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. (ALI VICOY/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Prof. Jomar Rabajante of the University of the Philippines (UP) Pandemic Response Team said in an interview on DZMM that based on their projections, it is possible that cases would peak earliest at January 15, and that the latest would be the third week of February.

He said that reported cases may range from 20,000 to 40,000 during this period. He mentioned that the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases can be attributed to the increased mobility of people especially during the holiday season.

Rabajante explained that the given timelines would depend on the public's behavior. He said that even with the Alert Level 3, if health protocols and measures will not be followed and that people would still be very mobile, the transmission of COVID-19 variant Omicron would be fast and the peak would come earlier.

He stated that if people would somehow maintain minimum public health standards and that the alert level systems will be effective, the said peak in COVID-19 cases may be delayed.

“Ang kagandahan sa pag-delay ng peak, ay posibleng bumaba din 'yung size ng peak...posibleng hindi tayo doon umabot sa 40,000 na projections (What's good about delaying the peak, is that the peak size may decrease...it's possible that we may not reach the 40,000 projection) ,” he said.

Related Tags

University of the Philippines jomar rabajante covid-19 COVID-19 CASES COVID-19 case surge Alert Level 3 up pandemic response team
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