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DOH defends NCR's transition to GCQ despite Thursday's record high
By JOAHNA LEI CASILAO,GMA NewsThe Department of Health (DOH) on Friday defended Metro Manila's transition to a general community quarantine, saying that the country's condition was improving despite the record-high 539 cases reported on Thursday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country's situation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was improving.
"Sa panahong ito, gusto po natin i-emphasize na desisyon para mag-GCQ, marami pong factors ang tinignan, hindi lamang po ang bilang ng mga kaso," Vergeire said.
Other factors she mentioned were the number of deaths, the case doubling time or the amount of time before cases are doubled, and the critical utilization rate or the percentage of health care facilities currently in use.
"Kung pababa ang number of deaths, mas mahaba ang case doubling time, at mababa ang ating critical care utilization rate, mas gumaganda po ang sitwasyon ng ating bansa," Vergeire said.
The DOH said it now took seven days
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Vergeire had also explained that the spike in this week's cases was due to the agency's increased capacity to validate cases after more encoders were hired.
"Kumpara sa mga nakaraang araw, ang trend ng mga kaso ay tumataas pero dahil po ito sa patuloy na pagtaas ng bilang ng mga kaso nating nava-validate dahil nakapag-hire na po tayo ng additional encoders," she said.
According to Vergeire, only 109 of the cases reported yesterday were "fresh cases" while some of the fatalities reported were deaths which occurred in April and March.
"Ang balanse na mahigit kumulang na 400 ay mga late cases o mga kaso na ang mga resulta ay lumabas noong nakaraang linggo. Pero dahil kahapon lang po na-submit ang mga laboratory results nila, kaya kahapon lang din po navalidate," she said.
Vergeire said that the case bulletin for Friday will be released at 8 p.m. -NB, GMA News