Duque: We're not going for zero COVID-19 cases

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday said the country is not going for a record of zero COVID-19 cases but aiming for a much lower number of cases.

Duque pointed out that coronavirus disease 2019 will stay in the lives of Filipinos.

“This virus is gonna stay with us. Let us not deceive ourselves. We’re not going for zero COVID-19 cases,” Duque said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

The health official made the statement when asked if the Philippines already flattened the curve of COVID-19 cases. He said that they are targeting a downward trend and not just flattening the curve.

Citing reports of OCTA-Research team, Duque said the country already flattened the curve but the trend of COVID-19 cases only ‘stabilize.’

Duque said the two important goals are to manage the cases of transmission and increase the healthcare capacity. “’Yun lang ‘yun.”

On Sunday, the total COVID-19 cases in the Philippines rose to 322,497 with 3,190 new infections. The total recoveries rose to 273,079 and the total fatalities also climbed to 5,776.—AOL, GMA News