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Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Daily cases hit record 7,999

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The Philippines on Saturday posted a new record-high of single-day infections at 7,999 cases, with the number of active infections also the highest in over seven months just as health workers and experts warn of a looming health crisis over a fresh surge.

Active cases reached 80,642, the highest number of active infections since August 15 last year, when the country had 83,109. The figure is also the second-highest number of active infections since the pandemic started.

The additional number of infections pushed the country’s total to 656,056, breaking the record of 7,103 new cases reported just the day before.

This is also the second straight day that new COVID-19 cases exceeded 7,000, data showed. The new peak came as the Philippines marked a year under lockdown.

Six laboratories were not able to submit their data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System (CDRS) on time, the Department of Health said.

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The OCTA Research group earlier in the day projected daily infections to reach 10,000 by the end of March should infections become uncontrollable.

Metro Manila, which is under general community quarantine, remains as the virus epicenter. The cities in the region have been tallying the bulk of newly recorded cases in recent weeks, and enforced surgical lockdowns, curfews, and a liquor ban, among other restrictions, in a bid to arrest the surge.

Health authorities earlier said the surge in cases is due to loose compliance with quarantine restrictions, so-called “vaccine optimism,” and the spread of new highly transmissible variants.

Health care workers have, meanwhile, expressed exhaustion and low morale due to the renewed rise in cases, which they are fighting in the frontlines.

More variants found

Among the 11th batch of specimens subjected to Whole Genome Sequencing, the Department of Health, the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC), and the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) have detected 46 additional B.1.1.7 variant cases, 62 additional B.1.351 variant cases, and six additional P.3 variant cases.

These additional cases were among the 150 samples composed mostly of samples from National Capital Region laboratories. Information of cases with these variants are being investigated and verified.

Of the additional 46 B.1.1.7 variant cases, 36 are local cases from the NCR, two are Returning Overseas Filipinos, and eight cases are currently being verified if they are local or Returning Overseas Filipino (ROF) cases.

This brings the total number of B.1.1.7 cases in the country to 223. As to status, case database shows that 45 cases are still active, and one is already recovered.

The two ROFs detected were from the Cagayan Valley and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Of the 62 B.1.351 variant cases, 43 are local cases and 19 are being verified if they are local or ROF cases. This brings the total number of B.1.351 cases in the country to 152. Of the 43 local cases, 41 are from NCR and two are from CALABARZON. Based on the case line list, 60 cases are still active and two have recovered.

On P.3 Variant cases, of the six additional cases, four are local cases and two are being verified if they are local cases or ROFs. The four local cases are from NCR. All six cases are currently active.

The DOH, UP-PGC, and UP-NIH emphasize that at present, the P.3 variant is still not identified as a variant of concern as current available data are insufficient to conclude whether the variant will have significant public health implications.

The DOH urges the public to stay at home unless extremely necessary and remember to avoid the three C’s (Closed spaces, Crowded places, and Close contact settings).

With the upcoming Holy Week, the DOH encourages everyone to avoid large congregations and practice religious activities at home. Strict adherence to the minimum public health standards in all private and public settings is strongly emphasized to minimize COVID-19 transmission and avoid further mutations.

OCTA warning

Meanwhile, the OCTA Research Group said new daily cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines could reach up to 10,000 by the end of the month, half likely to be recorded in Metro Manila if the current daily trend continued.

“We’re likely to see 5,000 cases in NCR (National Capital Region) alone by end of the month, and at least 10,000 cases nationwide by end of the month,” according to OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David.

On Friday, the Philippines reported 7,103 new COVID-19 cases, the highest recorded daily tally in the country since the start of the pandemic last year.

Authorities are pointing to lax compliance with quarantine regulations over vaccine optimism, and the spread of more transmissible COVID-19 variants as possible reasons for the surge.

“In terms of numbers, this record-breaking number is not the full [impact], this is just the first record-breaking figure, sad to say,” he said.

He added: “We don’t want that to happen but that’s the truth because there is momentum in the trend, the pandemic has a momentum right now and it’s hard to stop that momentum especially at this level where we’re getting 7,000 cases, 3,800 in Metro Manila.”

Health protocols

Meanwhile, the Quezon City government and the QC Police District have vowed to heighten the enforcement of health protocols in the city’s 142 barangays, following the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks.

Mayor Joy Belmonte issued a memorandum forming an incentive system that would recognize the policemen’s efforts in ensuring the implementation of minimum health standards in the city, specifically in public transportations, commercial establishments, and special concern lockdown areas in the city.

“The city government will be enforcing stricter monitoring of the implementation of health protocols with the help of QCPD led by PBGen. Danilo Macerin. And to further encourage our 16 police stations in our enforcement, we will be initiating a non-cash, outputs-based incentive system for them,” Belmonte said in a statement.

In the memorandum, it said police station commanders would intensify foot patrols in the city’s special lockdown areas, barangays with high covid cases, tambayan areas such as basketball courts, transport terminals, and footbridges, public transport including tricycles, public markets, and commercial establishments, government facilities, and places of worship, and areas where violations of health protocols are regularly observed or reported.

Each police station is also mandated submit a daily report including the total number of ordinance violation receipt issued and highlight the top three violations and barangays and establishments where most violations occurred.

‘Required measures’

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda predicted that daily COVID-19 cases might reach 10,000 as he proposed at least five “absolutely required measures to fight this recent surge.”

“My team has been monitoring the situation and we are convinced that daily cases may approach 10,000 in the coming days. We base our view on the fact that the infectivity rate has shown no signs of slowing down. Filling up COVID centers at this stage will be inevitable,” said Salceda, chairman of the House committee on ways and means.

“We can no longer afford paralyzing lockdowns. Border controls, too, will not work, as it appears that whatever we would like to stop at the borders are already here anyway. There is also little political or economic appetite for a further mobility restriction,” he added.

The completion of the administration of all vaccines currently available tops Salceda’s proposal.

“Only around 200,000 of the about 1 million vaccines already available in the country have been injected. This is absolutely dismal performance. If this pace persists, we will need 30 years to fully achieve herd immunity. We must boost vaccine confidence among healthcare workers. The best vaccine is not any particular brand; the best vaccine is the one available now. Waiting for a preferred brand is risking one’s life,” he said.

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