THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said it does not see any surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases until the end of April amid the relaxed mobility restrictions in most areas of the country.
In a virtual press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that based on the current trend, “we don’t see any significant increase in the number of cases.”
“The positivity rate is currently at 1.8 percent. This is lower compared to the 2.1 percent from the previous week,” said Vergeire.
She added that “the number of new COVID-19 cases remain low in all island groups.”
Vergeire, however, said the projection is “not cast in stone” as there are other factors to be considered, including the possible entry of the new variant Omicron XE.
“This isn’t cast in stone. This is not something that is permanent since it is merely a forecast. Anything can still happen,” said Vergeire.
Given the threat of the Omicron XE and other new variants, the DOH said border control protocols will continue to be strictly enforced.
“It does not mean that we have removed all our safeguards when we opened up our doors to tourists across the globe. It does not mean that all variants can now enter the country,” said Vergeire.
“Border control remains. We still have these safety nets,” she stressed.
The protocols, she said, include pre-departure COVID-19 testing, health screening upon arrival, and community monitoring.
Vergeire said closing the borders whenever a new COVID-19 variant emerges is not conducive to economic recovery.
“We cannot just always open and close our borders. We won’t be able to reach our goal of a new normal if we do that,” said Vergeire.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has allowed the entry of fully vaccinated foreign travelers in the Philippines last month as it placed the National Capital Region (NCR) and more than 50 areas under the least restrictive Alert Level 1 of quarantine.
The Bureau of Immigration said the number of foreign tourists has been gradually increasing since March and is expected to reach 12,000 per day during the summer season.
The tourism industry is one of the most affected industries at the height of the pandemic due to border closures.
