The Department of Health (DOH) cautioned it is too early to conclude that the decline in the number of daily reported COVID-19 cases in the past days is a result of the enhanced community quarantine in the Greater Manila Area.
The DOH reported a record-high of 15,310 COVID-19 cases on April 2. On April 4, the daily case count was down to 11,028 while 8,355 new cases were accounted for on April 5.
The OCTA Research Group also took note of the lowering of COVID-19 reproduction number in Metro Manila from 1.88 to 1.61 from March 29 to April 4.
The DOH, however, said the figures do not mean a slowdown in transmission considering that many laboratories did not operate during the Holy Week.
“Hindi pa po natin makikita ang epekto nitong ginagawa nating ECQ until about two weeks from the time that we have ended the ECQ (We cannot see yet the effect of the ongoing ECQ until about two weeks from the time that we have ended the ECQ),” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reminded.
Usec. Vergeire earlier explained that the surge of cases last July and August dropped 10 days after the implementation of modified ECQ. Hospitals were decongested after three to four weeks.
Based on DOH data, the utilization rate of ICU beds is at critical level in Quezon City and the cities of San Juan, Manila, Las Piñas, Makati, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque.
The government is currently working on adding more beds to hospitals. Schools are being set to serve as quarantine facilities while some hotels are eyed for affected healthcare workers with mild and asymptomatic conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) explained the increase in the number of cases is happening worldwide due to the surfacing of new variants, reduced health standard observance, and low vaccine optimism. – Report from Mark Fetalco/AG-JBB
