UP researcher warns vs complacency amid improved COVID-19 numbers

The worst thing that the public and the government could do amid the improving COVID-19 situation is underestimating the COVID-19 virus, Professor Ranjit Rye of the UP-OCTA Research team warned on Tuesday.

The OCTA Research Team earlier released its report on the COVID-19 situation in the country, which found that COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR)—the center of economic activity  and site of the most number of COVID-19 cases —were decreasing, with the positivity rate down to six percent and reproduction rate at .7 or lower than the national reproduction rate of .8.

The same report, however, also identified the cities of Makati, Baguio, Mandaluyong, and Lucena as the top high-risk areas for COVID-19 due to an increased average of new cases recorded per day and critical care occupancy reaching 69 percent and above.

“The country’s trend is in the right direction. Cases will still go up as we continue to open the economy, but we should work so that it does not end up a surge or massive transmission to a level of 15,000 or 20,000 a day just like in European counties,” Rye told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

“That is why the worst thing to do now is to overestimate our achievements and for us to underestimate the virus. We have to stay prepared, careful and vigilant,” he added.

While there was a COVID-19 surveillance system in place, as well as a testing, tracing and treatment system, Rye said that such safeguards still needed to be simplified further for easier local government compliance.

“We have to improve the system for clearer protocols on when LGUs should implement a granular lockdown. There is a system in place, but as it is, it is complex as to what are the required situations for the LGU to implement a lockdown,” Rye explained.

“Databases [on COVID-19 cases] are used as reference, but not every LGU has a database. There should be simple rules on when they should implement a lockdown, much like using a circuit breaker,” Rye added.

Also, Rye said that testing, contact tracing, and hospital capacities should be increased for easier management of cases.

“We need to scale up our systems in case a surge happens,” Rye said.

The researcher also emphasized that the private sector needed to do its part in reducing COVID-19 transmissions by ensuring safe workplaces for employees.

“We all have a role to play,” Rye affirmed. — DVM, GMA News