COVID-19 case doubling time slows to 7 days –DOH

The doubling time of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines is now at seven days, an improvement from the two to three days recorded at the start of the pandemic, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Thursday.

Vergeire said this amid reports that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte to downgrade Metro Manila from modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) to general community quarantine (GCQ) starting June 1.

“Making recommendations is a work of the IATF. Ang masasabi ko lang, we have a basis for providing the recommendation, and based po sa data analytics ng ating ng mga eksperto, iyong case doubling rate, yung critical care utilization rate and mortality doubling time, nakita po natin sa kabuuan na case doubling rate and mortality doubling rate ay bumaba na,” she said.

“Seven days po ang case doubling rate sa NCR at sa buong Pilipinas. Sa mortality doubling rate, mas mahaba na rin po ang araw. Itong mga pamantayan po na ito ang ginamit ng IATF.”

Vergeire made the response when asked on how she views the suggestions of researchers from UP and UST that MECQ protocols in Metro Manila should be retained due to the high number of COVID-19 cases.

Under MECQ, only 50% of workforce per company is allowed to physically report back to work and mass transport remains prohibited to prevent mass gathering.

Under the GCQ, at least 75% of the workforce per company is allowed to physically report back to work and mass transport is available on a scaled-down operation.

Metro Manila mayors, however, earlier recommended that mass transport should remain prohibited in the NCR even if it transitions for GCQ.

Vergeire, however, said the final decision still remains with the President.

“Wala pa pong final decision, hanggang mamayang gabi. It is the President who will be the one to decide on all of these,” she said.

The Philippines has recorded 15,049 COVID-19 cases thus far. Of this number, 3,506 recovered while 904 died.

On May 27, the Philippines also registered 380 new COVID-19 infections, the highest number of new cases in a single day since 414 new infections were announced on April 6. --KBK, GMA News