By Ma. Teresa Montemayor | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered the risk level for traveling to the Philippines, a health official said Friday (April 1).
In a Palace briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said this was due to the continued improvement of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
“Sa ngayon kabilang na po ang Pilipinas sa 14 bansa na isinailalim ng US CDC sa (Currently, the Philippines is one of the countries the US CDC has placed under) Level 2 or COVID-19 moderate,” she said.
Countries under Level 2 have recorded 50 to 99 new COVID-19 cases for every 100,000 individuals over the past 28 days.
For the week of March 24 to 30, the country has recorded only 2,500 COVID-19 cases.
Latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed there were 40,412 active cases for the same period – 38,989 were either asymptomatic, mild, or moderate while 1,423 were severe or critical.
The five regions which recorded the most number of infections were the National Capital Region with 887 cases; Calabarzon, 311; Western Visayas, 266; Central Luzon, 201; and Central Visayas,196.
The five areas which logged the most number of infections were Manila with 149 cases; Cavite, 132; Iloilo, 131; Quezon City, 128; and Parañaque City, 96.
Vergeire noted that COVID-19 cases nationwide are slowly decreasing, averaging 364 cases per day for the week of March 24 to 30.
It is 24% lower than last week’s (March 17 to 23) average of 476 infections daily.
“Mabagal na po ang pagbaba dahil mas mababa na ang kaso sa ibang lugar sa ating bansa. Mas mababa narin ang mga kaso sa ngayon na humigit kumulang sa 100 cases kung ikukumpara natin noong nag-uumpisa tayo nung (The decrease in cases is slow because infections in other parts of the country has declined. The cases are more or less 100 only compared to the tally when we started) December last year,” Vergeire said.
While the country already has a lower travel risk level, the DOH reminded the unvaccinated not to travel to and from the Philippines as they are at high risk of contracting COVID-19. (PNA)
-ag
