THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said the number of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country dropped by 20 percent to 1,124, or a daily average of 161 cases, during the May 2 to 8 period.
Of the new cases, the DOH case bulletin showed that 14 were severe and critical cases, bringing to 611 the total number of severe and critical COVID-19 patients currently confined in various hospitals.
The DOH also reported 42 deaths, of which eight died during the period April 25 to May 8.
Despite the decrease in new cases, Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje again reminded the public to adhere to health protocols.
“Huwag maging kampante sa banta ng COVID-19. Dapat nating ipagpatuloy ang tamang pagsunod sa minimum public health standards (We should not be complacent to the threat posed by COVID-19. We must continue to adhere to the minimum public health standards),” she said.
Cabotaje said COVID-19 cases in the country may drop to less than 30 per day by mid-May if the public strictly follow health protocols.
Cabotaje said the DOH has not monitored an increase in COVID cases recently. “If tuloy tuloy ito ay baka bumaba tayo ng 28 na kaso per day by May 15 (If this continues then we might see a continued decrease in cases to 28 per day by May 15),” she said.
The DOH bulletin also showed that only 3,664 out of 23,818 non-ICU beds are being utilized, while 474 of the 2,817 ICU beds, or 16 percent of the total, are being used.
The DOH said that as of May 8, the number of fully vaccinated Filipinos have already reached 68,437,798 Filipinos, with 526,334 of inoculated from May 2 until 8. The figure, according to Cabotaje, is 79 percent of the 90 million target vaccinees.
However, Cabotaje said the distribution of first booster doses have been slow with only 13,454,867 million doses administered so far, of which 223,224 were given last week.
Cabotaje said 323 vaccination sites stayed open on Election Day.
Of the figure, 34 were in Ilocos Region, nine in Cagayan Region, five in Central Luzon, 39 in the Cordillera Administrative Region, and six in the National Capital Region.
There were also three vaccination sites in Calabarzon, 29 in Western Visayas, 17 in Central Visayas, 25 in Eastern Visayas, 12 in Zamboanga Peninsula, 12 in Region 10 Northern Mindanao, and 12 in Davao.
It added that 112 vaccination sites in SOCCSKSARGEN, 11 in Caraga and one in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao also remained open.
