The Department of Health (DOH) opposed on Wednesday (June 9) OCTA Research group’s statement that Davao City is a COVID-19 ‘epicenter’ due to its increasing number of cases.
In the Laging Handa public briefing on Wednesday (June 9), the OCTA Research group said that from their perspective, Davao City and Western Visayas are considered COVID-19 epicenters.
“Nandoon pa rin naman sa NCR Plus ‘yung epicenter, pero we could say there is a corresponding increase sa Mindanao areas. [It] depends on the definition, sa perspective ng person, on what ‘epicenter’ is, [but] from our perspective, we could say it is also one of the epicenters ngayon along with Western Visayas,” OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said.
However, the DOH disagreed with the statement, asserting that Davao City cannot be considered an epicenter.
“‘Epicenter,’ in relation to epidemics, are interpreted by some to refer to an area as the source of the infection. It is also meant to connote the area as a hotspot for the infection,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire explained.
Vergeire also said that the department discourages the use of the term ‘epicenter’ to describe the surge of cases in a certain area.
“These areas are not the origin of the COVID-19 virus. Moreover, using the term ‘epicenter’ detracts from other surrounding areas which may be equally or more affected by COVID-19,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the DOH assured that the situation in Davao City is being closely monitored.
Report from Mark Fetalco/NGS-jlo
