Worst over vs. COVID-19? DOH sees no reason to be complacent

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday warned the public against complacency two days after President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque claimed in a news briefing that the worst was over.

In a written response to reporters' questions, the DOH said it didn't want Filipinos to be complacent despite the improvements in the country's COVID-19 statistics.

"While we have seen improvements in our numbers, hindi pa tapos ang laban. We do want the public to be complacent and to think na everything is already okay. Dahil kapag naging complacent tayo, magiging hindi tayo maingat," the DOH said.

"We are all fighting an invisible enemy and unless a vaccine has been made available or even then, walang kasiguraduhan," it added.

Roque on Wednesday said the "worst is over," responding to the result of an SWS survey showing that 57% of adult Filipinos believed in July that the worst was yet to come.

"Naintindihan po natin ‘yung pessimism ng ating kababayan dahil napakahirap po talaga nitong pandemiya na dinulot nito. Pero ang masasabi ko lang po the worst is over," Roque said.

"Kaya lang naman po we hit rock bottom dahil sinara natin ang ekonomiya," he added.

The DOH said it welcomed Roque's opinion but it reiterated its commitment to continue improving the response and mitigation strategies as it learns more about the novel disease which already infected almost 280,000 in the Philippines.

It reminded the public to continue observing minimum health standards to prevent the further transmission of COVID-19. -NB, GMA News