The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines topped the 200,000 mark on Wednesday after the Health department announced 5,277 new infections, bringing the total to 202,361.
The bulk of the newly reported cases still came from Metro Manila at 3,157, followed by Laguna with 403, Negros Occidental with 304, Rizal with 237 and Cavite with 228.
Of the 5,277 reported cases, 4,350 (82 percent) occurred within the recent 14 days or from Aug. 13 to 26.
“As of 4 p.m. today, Aug, 26, 2020, the Department of Health reports the total number of COVID-19 cases at 202,361,” said the department’s COVID-19 Case Bulletin #165.
COVID-19 expenses cost P44 billion
The Health department of Health has used 86 percent or P44.57 billion out of its P51-billion budget for its COVID-19 response, an official said on Wednesday.
Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said her department was allotted P51 billion to address the pandemic, of which 89 percent or P45.72 billion came from the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.
“As of August 2020, our utilization was P44.57 billion, and 46 percent of that allocation was used for case management-related commodities,” Vergeire said.
Warning against deworming drug
The Health department on Wednesday warned against giving COVID-19 patients the deworming drug Ivermectin, especially since it had not yet been approved for such use.
“I am just warning those doctors who are doing this without undergoing through the regulatory process because this might be harmful to our citizens, because there is no evidence yet that Ivermectin can be used for COVID-19 or to prevent COVID-19,” Vergeire said.
She said people should not use off-label drugs, or those made for other illnesses, without the approval of the Food and Drug Administration and the ethics review board.
Keep it down for a healthy Christmas
University of the Philippines experts on Wednesday reminded the public and the government to sustain the efforts to keep the COVID-19 cases down to achieve a “healthy Christmas.”
Guido David of the UP-OCTA Research Team says 2020 can have a “happy finish” if the downward trend of COVID-19 cases is sustained.
“This is a collective effort. The fight is not yet over. We have to sustain this momentum,” David said.
“It will take a while, but we hope that by Christmas everything would be okay.
When in doubt, isolate
Isolation is a critical step in mitigating the transmission of COVID-19, the Health department said in a forum Wednesday. Willie Casas
Vergeire says a person needs to isolate or do self-quarantine even at the slightest suspicion or symptoms of COVID-19 to protect themselves and their loved ones.
“Whether you are tested or not, please isolate. If you have been in contact with someone who has symptoms or has tested positive, please isolate immediately. If you are unsure if you have been exposed to a person with the virus, again please isolate,” Vergeire said.
Public warned against complacency
The Health department on Tuesday warned the public not to be complacent amid the pandemic after a case of reinfection was recorded in Hong Kong recently.
Researchers in Hong Kong had identified “the first confirmed case” worldwide of COVID-19 reinfection, which raised questions about the durability of immunity, whether acquired naturally or with a vaccine.
In a statement, the department said it could not verify the report until the details of the Hong Kong researchers on the reinfection were released in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
The department advised people to stay alert and continue to follow anti-COVID policies to avoid infection.
Demand on COVID-19 funds
Senator Christopher Go has demanded that government agencies ensure that all funds spent in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic are fully accounted for.
“Especially in times of crises, every peso counts. For every peso wasted or stolen, lives are put to risk,” Go said.
He made his statement after President Rodrigo Duterte pushed for stricter measures to guarantee that public funds were accounted for, especially during the pandemic. The President also asked Congress to exercise its oversight functions to ensure that funds were not wasted or stolen amid the health crisis.