Holiday Season COVID-19 Cases at NCR May Rise to 4,000 Per Day, DOH Warns

MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila may record at least 4,000 new 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) infections per day during and after the Christmas season, which could also overwhelm healthcare facilities, the Department of Deputy Secretary for Health said on Thursday. Health, María Rosario Vegeire.

Vergeire cited projections from the Syndromic Surveillance Feasibility Analysis using the Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Modeler for Early Disease Detection and UP OCTA teams confirmed that COVID-19 cases are likely to increase during and after the holidays.

“Cases at NCR [National Capital Region] it can reach 4,000 per day, which can overwhelm our healthcare system’s capacity to more than 80 percent utilization by the end of January if we don’t act aggressively to prevent transmission now, ”Vergeire said during a press conference. online.

DOH Undersecretary María Rosario Vergeire

Vergeire also noted that there is a risk of transmission in shopping malls, shopping areas and churches because physical distancing is generally overlooked despite wearing masks and face shields.

“Although you see people with masks, it is very clear that the rules of physical distancing are no longer followed. Additionally, overcrowding affects ventilation. Although they are in open spaces, there are still many [people] around which the risk of transmission increases, ”Vergeire said.

“It is important to remember that we must follow all components of the minimum public health standards to reduce the risk of transmission,” added Vergeire.

Earlier, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III warned of the “beginning of the surge” of COVID-19 cases from Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

As of Wednesday, the Philippines recorded a total of 451,839 COVID-19 infections, including 418,867 recoveries and 8,812 deaths.

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