Malacañang assured the public that the healthcare system in the Philippines is still thriving, despite the increasing cases of COVID-19 in various parts of the country.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a public briefing today (Aug. 24) that the latest data on new COVID-19 cases in the country is still within the projection.
“Nasa 18,332 ang mga bagong kaso ayon sa August 23, 2021 datos ng DOH [Department of Health]. Ito po ay within the projection pa rin po ng FASSSTER [Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance using Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Modeler], within ng projection pa rin po. Mataas pa rin po ang ating recovery rate na nasa 91.3%,” Roque said.
“We are within projection for as long as we do not exceed 20,000 per day – that is the projection. Kung ang iniisip ninyo ay iyong ECQ will result in a drastic reduce in cases, hindi po ‘yan iyong projection. Ang projection ay hindi tayo lalampas dapat ng 20,000,” he added.
According to the hospital care utilization rate report, intensive care unit (ICU) bed utilization rate and ward beds occupancy rate are now at high risk levels, while the isolation beds utilization rate nationwide is at moderate risk.
As of Aug. 23, utilization rate in ICU beds is at 73%, isolation beds at 61%, ward beds at 67%, and ventilators at 54%.
Meanwhile, in the National Capital Region (NCR), utilization rate in ICU beds is at 72%, isolation beds at 60%, ward beds at 71%, and ventilators at 58%.
More COVID-19 vaccines are also expected to arrive this month as the government continues to intensify the national vaccination program against COVID-19, according to Roque.
Some 362,700 doses of Pfizer vaccines are expected to arrive on Aug. 25, while some 3 million doses of Sinovac vaccines are arriving in the fourth week of August. – Report from Mela Lesmoras / CF-rir
