Increase in COVID-19 cases now due to clustering, community transmission, not improved testing —Vergeire

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Tuesday said the recent increase in COVID-19 cases was due to clustering of cases and community transmission.

Vergeire noted that the new cases are not attributed to improved testing anymore. With the evident transmission of the disease, she advised the public to be more cautious.

“These numbers that we are having right now should make people more cautious. This is not just because we are testing more but because there are really clustering of cases that we have been identifying for these past days,” she said in an interview on ANC.

“And also, there is really community transmission. This is not just because we are testing more, but this is really a result of community transmission,” she added.

Vergeire said they are looking into the different clustering of cases across different areas of the country to observe them closely, with the help of local government units.

“We have shut down their hospitals yesterday, and also with the local government units, specifically the Metro Manila mayors last night,” she said.

Vergeire said the Department of Health is in talks with the mayors to create guidelines on how to manage the COVID-19 cases in their respective areas.

“We have provided them with guidance, discussed with them what should be done so that we can be able to make appropriate measures when it comes to this increasing number of cases,” she said.

On Monday, the Philippines recorded 1,258 “fresh” or newly validated cases out of the 2,099 new cases recorded bringing the total to 46,333, with 12,185 recoveries and 1,303 fatalities, according to the Department of Health.—AOL, GMA News