New COVID-19 cases could reach more than 7,000 daily —doctors' group

The number of new COVID-19 cases to be reported in the next few days could reach more than the record high 7,000 cases on Monday, the president of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) said on Tuesday.

Interviewed on GMA Network’s Unang Hirit, PCP president Dr. Mario Panaligan said backlogs and the incubation period of COVID-19 still affect the trend in the total number of cases.

“Mahirap sabihin na nangangahalati na lang dahil sabi ko nga 'yung epekto ng modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) hindi pa natin makikita,” Panaligan said.

“Aasahan ko pa nga na puwede pang mas marami pa bukas o mamaya kasi hindi pa natin makikita,” he added.

Panaligan made the comment after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the number of COVID-19 cases was reduced by half due to the MECQ implementation.

For Panaligan, it will take weeks before the effect of the MECQ will be seen.

“Hindi pa natin makikita 'yung epekto ng MECQ. Pangalwa, alalahanin natin may mga backlogs pa rin 'yan e. Pangatlo, ito ‘yung dati nang, sabihin natin nag-i-incubate period pa, ay ngayon kumokonsulta,” he added.

“Kahit naman sabihin natin na wala nang MECQ, GCQ (general community quarantine) na, kung magiging pabaya naman tayo, so babalik at babalik ‘yung dami ng nagkakasakit,” he added.

Panaligan called for a closer coordination among government agencies. He lamented that some instructions of the Department of Health are not immediately implemented by local government units (LGUs).

“Ang importante ay ang koordinasyon ng lahat ng mga departamento ng gobyerno kasi doon nagkakawalaan,” he said.

“Merong sasabihin ang DOH, kagaya ng inirekomenda namin pero hindi rin nai-implement e kaagad-agad,” the PCP president added.

Panaligan said the DOH, for instance, already discouraged the use of rapid testing for COVID-19 screening purposes, but, he said, many LGUs are still using it.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said they are not banning the use of rapid testing but it should be used appropriately.

“We are not rally totally banning. Kailangan lang appropriate ang use. Hindi talaga puwede for screening," Vergeire said.

She said rapid testing can be effective for those who already recovered from COVID-19.

“Puwede gamitin ang rapid antibody test sa mga nakaka-recover na, or puwede na ma-tag as recovered. Kasi on the 21st day of the illness of the patient, accurate o sensitive na ang rapid test para makapag-show siya kung nakapag-develop na ang pasyente ng IgG na nagi-indicate na naka-recover na ang pasyente,” Vergeire explained.

The Philippines on Monday once again logged a record-high number of new COVID-19 cases after the DOH announced 6,958 new infections, raising the total to 136,638.

Of this number, 68,159 have recovered while the death toll climbed to 2,293. —KG, GMA News