The Department of Health (DOH) is now seeing an increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, particularly in Regions 1,2, the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR), and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Despite this, the DOH is ensuring that the reversion to modified enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the NCR and its suburbs last August due to high utilization rate of facilities will not be repeated this holiday season.
“We are trying to prepare the system because if and when the surge will happen, we need to have all hospitals enforcing or being compliant to this mandated 30 percent and 20 percent dedicated for hospitals,” DOH USec. Maria Rosario Vergeire assured.
The COVID-19 patient admission at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) has been reaching 230 earlier with at least 40 percent severe or critical cases. PGH is still receiving hundreds of patients but this time, there are less severe cases admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU).
“Mga almost 200 beds po para sa COVID response. So mayroon pang leeway na mga 100 beds para po sa surge kung mayroon man (There are still 200 beds for COVID response. So there is still a leeway of 100 beds for a possible surge),” UP-PGH Dir. Gap Legazpi stated.
The hospital occupancy rate of 80 percent last August has declined to 36 percent this December, according to the DOH. The reproduction number also dropped to 1.
With the increasing number of persons heading for the malls and bazars, experts are now expressing concern on the possible surge in cases reaching a 4,000-count daily until January.
“4,000 is actually a very critical number because last time we went to MECQ, we were at 2,000 cases per day in Metro Manila. So we don’t want to reach that level,” Dr. Guido David cautioned. – Report from Mark Fetalco
