The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday explained the surge in COVID-19 cases is happening worldwide.
Based on the latest data, the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has reached over 130 million.
Some countries have already declared a third wave of COVID-19 such as Germany, Japan, and some portions of Canada. Some parts of France, Japan, and Bangladesh have also imposed tight lockdowns.
“We are seeing week-on-week increase in the number of cases worldwide not just here in the Philippines. In nearly all WHO six regions, we are seeing an increase of cases week by week for the last four weeks,” WHO Country Representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said.
“The Philippines is not unique in seeing increase. This increase is not attributed in any way to incompetence,” Abeyasinghe stressed.
Among the factors in the increase of cases are the possible circulation of multiple new variants believed to be more transmissible, gradual reduction in the compliance of minimum public health standards, and optimism on the arrival and gradual rollout of vaccines.
The Department of Health (DOH) explained the transmission rate of the virus increased by six to nine times due to the emergence of variants of concern, gathering of individuals in areas without proper ventilation, and the prolonged time a patient is considered contagious.
DOH data show the average daily new cases increased to over 8,000 during the last week of March which is higher than the over 7,000 during the third week of March and the 1,400 cases in January and February.
In the National Capital Region (NCR) alone, daily cases have gone up to around 6,000 from just 400 in January.
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire noted that the last surge of cases was recorded last July and August.
“We saw the decline in the number of cases after 10 days of the ECQ, and also saw that our healthcare utilization improved after two to three weeks of the ECQ,” Vergeire told.
Despite the rise in numbers, the case fatality rate has a downward trend which is currently at 1.73%.
The DOH is now prioritizing the decongestion of hospitals especially in Metro Manila, together with immediate testing, tracing, and isolation. The implementation of a triage system is also set to begin this week in the region. – Report from Mark Fetalco/AG-JBB
