Año disagrees with Duque on supposed 2nd wave of COVID-19 infections

Another Cabinet official has disagreed with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's pronouncements that the Philippines is currently experiencing the second wave of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections.

In a television interview on Thursday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the emerging cases of COVID-19 are still part of the first wave of infection.

“Para sa akin kasi, parang itong  bungang ito ay part pa magmula nang magsimula tayo. At katulad ng ibang country, na ang pinaghahandaan natin ay ang susunod na wave,” Año told GMA Network’s Unang Hirit.

He said  the Inter-Agency Task Force will discuss the reported second wave of COVID-19 cases at their meeting. “Regarding sa second wave, pag-uusapan talaga ‘yan ng IATF.”

During the Senate Committee of the Whole Hearing on Wednesday, Duque said they considered the first three cases, which are all imported, as the first wave.

“Actually nasa second wave tayo. ‘Yung first wave nag-umpisa, batay po sa ating mga batikang epidemiologist, na ang first wave natin happened sometime in January—noong nagkaroon po tayo ng tatlong kaso ng mga Chinese nationals from Wuhan,” he said.

“‘Yun po ay kinikilalang first wave, maliit lang na wave ika nga. Pero ngayon nasa second wave tayo at ginagawa po natin ang lahat para nga ma-flatten 'yung epidemic curve,” he added.

But Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea disputed Duque’s claim.

“Alam mo hindi pronouncement ‘yan ng Presidente or ano. Kailan ba lumabas ‘yang second wave? That we will have to see. Because as far as I know, wala pa tayo sa second wave,” Medialdea said.

As of Wednesday, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines was at 13,221 with 842 fatalities and 2,932 recoveries. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA News