Filtered By: Topstories
News

Community quarantine should be based on science —DOH


Community quarantine should be based on science —DOH

The Department of Health on Saturday maintained that the implementation of a community quarantine in the country or in a certain area should be based on science.

Health Undersecretary Ma. Mario Rosario Vergeire made the remark in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV following the warning of experts from the OCTA research team against prematurely downgrading community quarantines particularly in Metro Manila despite the downtrend in the number of COVID-19 cases reported daily.

“Ipinatutupad na community quarantine sa isang lugar, dapat nakabase sa siyensya,” the DOH official said.

“Lahat ng indicators o aspeto, ikinukonsidera sa pagpapatupad ng community quarantine,” she pointed out.

“Tinitingnan din natin ang dami ng kaso ng COVID sa isang lugar,” she said.

The OCTA research team showed that the number of daily cases reported decreased from 4,300 in early August to 2,988 in late September.

While the transmission rate or r0 (r-naught) has been less than 1, meaning low transmission rate, the Health official noted that “hindi pa rin tayo dapat maging complacent.”

Apart from lower transmission rate, the utilization rate in hospitals and health facilities have also gone down.

“Bumaba na po ang utilization, nasa less than 60% na po tayo ngayon, ibig sabihin, na-decongest natin ang ating mga facility,” Vergeire said.

“Noong bago ang MECQ punong-puno ang ating mga ospital pero ngayon nakahinga ang ating mga health workers at facilities,” she said.

The UP OCTA research team also projected that the number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines may increase to a minimum of 380,000 to a maximum of 410,000 by October 3.

"While the situation in the NCR has improved as the rate of transmission, the number of cases, as well as the positivity rate and the measure for hospital resource utilization are all on a downward trend, it has not yet achieved the crucial 28 days case doubling time requirement set by IATF to be classified into an MGCQ status," the team said.

“Therefore, we recommend sustaining the current General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status for the NCR until it further improves its health indicators and qualifies for the MGCQ status,” it said. —LBG, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT