THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday said its projections show that the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases will continue its upward trend until the end of the month despite observations the pandemic is nearing its end.
In a press conference, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said: “We cannot say yet that this week will be the peak of this apparent surge. Based on our projections, cases will still continue to increase. Our data show that we have yet to see plateauing or slowdown in the case growth,” Vergeire said.
“We cannot say yet that this week will be the peak of this apparent surge. Based on our projections, cases will still continue to increase. Our data show that we have yet to see plateauing or slowdown in the case growth,” Vergeire said.
She added: “We are actually seeing that by the end of July, cases will still go up.”
Earlier, the DOH said daily cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) may reach as high as 11,186 by the end of July based on their projections.
For the period of July 8 to 14, NCR has a daily average case of 748, according to the DOH.
The PNP yesterday said it has recorded 22 new COVID-19 cases among its personnel amid the continuing increase of infections in the country.
The new cases, including 14 reinfections, brought to 104 the total active cases in the police force.
The PNP said 12 personnel have recovered from the disease, pushing total recoveries to 48,779.
Vergeire said the continued presence of the numerous Omicron subvariants in the country is causing more individuals to be sick.
“Based on evidence, these subvariants are more transmissible than the original Omicron. If you combine these, it will result to increase in cases,” she explained.
In addition, the health official noted that public mobility has nearly returned to the pre-pandemic levels, and that “there is 20 percent decline with our compliance to minimum public health standards.”
Vergeire’s statement comes in response to the observation of former National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa that the country is already “in the endgame” of the pandemic.
Similarly, OCTA Research fellow Guido David expressed belief that the latest COVID-19 surge is “nearing its endgame” in the NCR.
Yesterday, the DOH reported that more than 900 additional Omicron subvariant cases have been detected in the Philippines, with majority being the BA.5 sublineage.
Vergeire said they have detected 816 additional BA.5 cases, 42 additional BA.4 cases, and 52 additional BA.2.12.1 cases during the last genome sequencing run.
“At the moment, exposure of individuals is still unknown and travel histories are being verified,” said Vergeire.
For the additional BA.5 cases, they were detected in all regions except in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), along with 12 returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs).
A total of 560 individuals are fully vaccinated while the vaccination status of the remaining 256 are still being verified.
Among them, three individuals presented moderate symptoms while the disease severity of the other 813 are still being verified.
There are 686 individuals who are now tagged as recovered, 78 are still undergoing isolation, while the outcome of the other 52 are still being validated.
In all, there are already 1,108 BA.5 cases detected in the Philippines.
For the additional BA.4 cases, 10 individuals are from Soccsksargen, nine from Davao Region, seven from Western Visayas, four each from Metro Manila and the Bicol Region, three from Calabarzon, one each from Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and BARMM, and 3 ROFs.
There were 31 individuals that are fully vaccinated while the vaccination status of the remaining 11 are still being verified.
The symptoms that manifested among the cases are still being verified, Vergeire said.
Records show that 36 individuals are now tagged as recovered, five are still undergoing isolation, while the outcome of one case is still being verified.
In all, there are already 54 BA.4 cases detected in the Philippines.
For the additional BA.2.12.1 cases, at least one case was detected from Central Visayas, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Calabarzon, CAR, Caraga, and Metro Manila.
There were 26 individuals that are fully vaccinated, five are partially vaccinated, while the vaccination status of the remaining 21 are still being verified.
A total of 49 individuals are now tagged as recovered while the outcome of the remaining three are still being verified
In all, there are already 139 BA.2.12.1 cases detected in the Philippines.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante yesterday said during the “Laging Handa” public briefing that it is still too early to say if the Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 is more severe than the other strains.
Solante said they are still waiting for more information and results of studies about BA.2.75, which he said has already been reported in about 10 to 12 countries.
“It’s too early to tell the characteristics and the behavior of this new Omicron subvariant BA2.75 but there are mutations that they found that most likely it can have a higher rate of transmission just like what we have now in BA.5 and there is also possibility that it can also affect our vaccines,” he said.
“If you look at the genetic tree of the Omicron variant as they evolve, there is always that increased transmissibility and the ability to evade the vaccines, the protection that we have with vaccines. So, we will wait for more data if the other area is there, if it can really cause severe disease,” he added.
The BA.2.75 was first detected in India in May and has since spread to other countries like the United States, Britain, Australia, and Netherlands.
HOSPITAL UTILIZATION
Vergeire said hospitals in the country are slowly being filled up by non-COVID patients.
She said patients with other illnesses have begun flocking to hospitals, including their emergency rooms, such as those with pneumonia, diabetes, and ailments in hearts, lungs, and kidneys.
“The non-COVID wards are increasing occupancy now. We are averaging 60 to 70 percent occupancy already,” said Vergeire.
But with severe and critical COVID-19 cases still numbering to around 600 admissions, the health official urged the public to continue relying on telemedicine.
This, she said, is in order to leave COVID beds available to severe and critical cases.
“We appeal to the people, let us use our telemedicine services so that you won’t need to go to hospitals. Let us reserve our hospitals to those that are really in need, such as severe and critical COVID-19 conditions,” said Vergeire.
IATF
Solante said he supports the reconstitution of the member-agencies of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), which he said would “ensure faster and more concrete decisions” on the government’s pandemic response.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said it ready to assume the duties of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) in the campaign against the pandemic.
In a radio interview, NDRRMC executive director and concurrent Office of Civil Defense administrator Ricardo Jalad said the council has enough manpower to handle the job.
Jalad said the agencies composing the task force are the same agencies that comprise the NDRRMC.
“We’re ready because the agencies composing the NTF and the NDRRMC are the same and the chairperson of the NTF is also the chairperson of the NDRRMC,” said Jalad, referring to Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr.
Jalad said the NDRRMC would be capable of responding to the threat of COVID-19 while addressing effects of calamities.
Jalad said department secretaries, who are members of the NDRRMC, will just have to assign focal persons in the fight against COVID-19 and disaster response.
The departments that compose the NDRRMC include the DOH and Department of Interior and Local Government. The OCD is the operating arm of the NDRRMC. Malacañang has earlier said that it will use the NDRRMC as platform in the fight against COVID-19, replacing the NTF. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Victor Reyes
