The country’s healthcare system is close to being overwhelmed by the rising number of coronavirus cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the national COVID-19 bed occupancy rate breached the “warning zone” as 52.3 percent or 8,577 of the 16,388 beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients across the country were occupied as of July 26.
An area is in the “safe zone” if zero to 30 percent of COVID-19-dedicated facilities are in use, while it is in the “warning zone” at 30 to 70 percent utilization and in the “danger zone” at 70 to 100 percent utilization, the DOH explained earlier.
“Nationally, our health system is close to being overwhelmed, so we are pleading with you to follow the minimum health standards,” Vergeire said in a briefing.
READ: UP sees cases surging to 90,000 end-July as total tally tops 82k
This developed as the Philippines’ tally of COVID-19 cases topped 83,000 on Tuesday after the Health department announced 1,678 more infections, bringing the total to 83,673.
The tally marked the 14th consecutive day that more than 1,300 new coronavirus cases were reported.
The five areas with the highest number of new cases were Metro Manila with 698, Laguna with 218, Cebu with 100, Cavite with 87 and Davao del Sur with 33.
The total recoveries also rose to 26,617 after 173 more patients recovered from the disease, while the death toll climbed to 1,947 with four new fatalities.
Vergeire also reported that Metro Manila was in the danger zone with 82.2 percent of COVID-19 beds occupied as of July 26. The Cordillera Administrative Region and Regions 1, 3, 4-A, 6, 7, and 11 were in the warning zone.
However, Vergeire said not all hospitals have complied with the DOH order to allocate 30 percent of beds in public hospitals and 20percent of beds in private hospitals for COVID-19 cases.
“At present, 21.4 percent of public beds and 10.1percent ng private beds are reserved for COVID-19 cases. This is inadequate, so we at the DOH are discussing how we can raise these numbers,” Vergeire said.
The government earlier required hospitals to allocate 50 to 70percent of beds to COVID-19 cases in the event of a surge in infections.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander, on Tuesday ordered police commanders to submit the names of their designated officers who will serve as quarantine rules supervisors in every village in their area of responsibility.
He gave the order as the government pushed for the community-level enforcement of minimum health safety protocols in the fight against COVID-19.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque has hinted that the government may revert Metro Manila and other areas to a stricter Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) in August if the number of coronavirus cases hit or exceed 85,000 by the end of July as predicted by experts from the University of the Philippines.
READ: As cases surge, MECQ for NCR pushed
The National Capital Region is currently under a General Community Quarantine (GCQ), but with just three days left before July 31, it is likely that the country will surpass the 85,000-cases danger mark as early as today.
Eleazar said the quarantine rules supervisors will serve as the Philippine National Police's COVID-19 focal people in the more than 42,000 villages in the country, and will supervise the village guards in implementing the mandatory wearing of face masks, physical distancing and the prohibition of mass gatherings.
Safer activities
The services considered relatively safer in the pandemic will be allowed soon—especially the personal grooming and internet cafe services, the Department of Trade and Industry said Tuesday.
The other services that will be allowed to open include the tutorial testing centers, the review centers, esthetic services, pet grooming centers and drive-in cinemas.
“Internet cafes are still prohibited from operating. But in the light of the current situation wherein students are advised to attend online learning, we have considered the opening of the internet cafes if it will be used for education purposes only,” Trade secretary Ramon Lopez said.
South Korean donation
The South Korean government has donated P36.8 million worth of essential medical supplies to support the Philippines' fight against COVID-19.
The donation included 600,000 high-quality KF94 masks worth about $500,000 and seven walk-through COVID-19 testing booths worth $150,000 via the Korea International Cooperation Agency.
The Korean firms T&B Company and SD Biosensor, along with the South Korean Embassy in Manila, also provided 1,000 face shields and COVID-19 diagnostic kits worth $100,000.
South Korean Ambassador to Manila Han Dong-man turned over the donation to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday.
Zubiri tests negative
Senator Migs Zubiri tested negative for COVID-19 based on the confirmatory swab test results released by the Philippine Red Cross on Tuesday.
“I am negative. Thank you to our Lord God above! My confirmatory test with the Philippine Red Cross has come out and shows that I no longer have live RNA cells of the COVID-19,” Zubiri said.
"The outpouring of support, all the messages and prayers have lifted my spirit and kept me emotionally, physically and spiritually strong.”
Mask prices stabilize
The supply and prices of face masks "stabilized" after local manufacturing companies increased production to address the demand, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Tuesday.
Local manufacturers could now produce up to 55 million face masks a month from just one million at the start of the pandemic, Lopez told Teleradyo.
Lopez says the wearing of masks is mandatory when stepping out of the house as a protection against COVID-19. Cloth masks are also allowed.