Malacañang said Monday the sudden spike in the number of COVID-19 infections after the two-week holiday break was “manageable” as the country can still provide health care services to the patients.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said there appeared to have been a surge in the number of COVID 19 cases in the country based on the latest figures issued by the Department of Health.
“We cannot deny that there is a holiday surge because we recorded 1,900 cases yesterday, the highest in three weeks if I’m not mistaken,” Roque said in a press briefing.
However, the Palace official said the government is ready as hospitals can still accommodate patients.
Meanwhile, Roque and Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri clashed over the former saying Filipinos who will avail of the government’s free COVID-19 vaccinations cannot choose which vaccine will be used during the immunization campaign.
Preventing Filipinos from getting the COVID-19 vaccine of their choice is unfair, Zubiri said Monday.
Roque said vaccination is not mandatory, but those who intend to forego the opportunity will be required to sign a waiver.
“It's true, we all have a right to good health, but we can't be choosy (in getting a vaccine) because so many Filipinos need a jan,” the spokesman said at a press briefing.
In reply, Zubiri said: “That is not a fair assessment. We should give our people [the] choice [which brand of COVID-19 vaccine to get].”
Zubiri cited British firm AstraZeneca's vaccine, which is only worth P500 for two doses and has been proven at least 90% effective in human trials.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has also secured emergency use authorization (EUA) from the regulatory bodies of the United States and United Kingdom, among others.
The Philippines logged 2,052 new COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total to 489,736, as three laboratories failed to submit their data on time, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.
This marks the highest daily increase since 2,122 new cases were reported on Dec. 18.
The DOH reported 10 patients recently recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 458,206, which is 93.6 percent of the total number of cases.
The DOH also reported 11 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 9,416, which is 1.92 percent of the total.
This left 22,114 active cases, which is 4.5 percent of the total cases. Of the active cases, 84.3 percent are mild; 5.6 percent are asymptomatic; 6.2 percent are critical; 3.4 percent are severe; and 0.58 percent are moderate.
In other developments:
• A member of the technical working group of the DOH urged devotees who flocked to Quiapo Church for the Feast of the Black Nazarene to self-quarantine and avoid going to public places. Dr. Anna Ong-Lim expressed concern the mass gathering could become a potential super-spreader event.
• The Department of the Interior and Local Government said Secretary Eduardo Año is on leave until the end of the month following the advice of his doctors. DILG spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said Año, a COVID-19 survivor, was advised by his physicians to "slow down and take a break from stressful activities." Malaya said Año's leave starts Monday, January 11.