Duque: Philippines not out of the woods yet despite low-risk COVID-19 classification

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Saturday said the Philippines is not out of the woods yet, despite its latest classification as a low-risk area for COVID-19.

“Sinabi ko dati, we are not yet out of the woods,” Duque said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(As I have said earlier, we are not yet out of the woods.)

“Kapag kinuha mo ang pangkalahatan na risk classification, nasa low risk na ang buong Pilipinas. Pero hindi dapat gano'n ang pagtingin dito lamang kasi kinakailangan mo tingnan ang mga lugar na may spikes or surge,” he further explained citing the COVID-19 situations in some localities such as Baguio City and Iloilo.

(If you look at the overall risk classification, the Philippines is considered as a low-risk area. However, we should also consider that there are areas with spikes or surge [in cases].)

He reiterated the Department of Health’s explanation that the low-risk classification was due to the decrease in the  national case growth rate and average daily attack rate (ADAR).

According to DOH Epidemiology Bureau director Dr. Alethea De Guzman, the country’s’ negative two-week growth rate and the average daily attack rate at 5.42 pushed the Philippines to a low-risk area classification.

DOH data showed that the Philippines’ case growth rate fell to -9% during the period June 13 to 26 from 15% during the period May 30 to June 12. 

The national utilization rates of hospital and intensive care unit beds were also in the safe zone at 46.51% and 55.24%, respectively.

On Friday, the Philippines tallied 6,192 COVID-19 cases, bringing the total cases to 1,424,518. —KG, GMA News