Philippines has emerging COVID-19 hotspots in Mindanao, says DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday identified several “emerging hotspots” of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Mindanao.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH is monitoring the following areas:

• Region 10: Bukidnon, Lanao Del Norte, and Misamis Occidental
• Region 11: Davao Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, and Davao Oriental
• Region 12: South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat
• BARMM: Maguindanao

“So ito po ‘yung mga emerging hotspots in Mindanao na binabantayan din naman ng ating mga surveillance units sa ngayon dahil nga biglang mayroon tayong mga kaso,” she said in a media briefing.

Vergeire explained that an area may be considered a hotspot even if it has only recorded one confirmed case of COVID-19.

“Do’n sa pinaka-basic na definition ng hotspot, kahit na isang kaso lang ang lumabas in a place where there is no previously identified confirmed case, hotspot ka na,” she said.

“Another also na puwedeng i-consider na hotspot, meron siya dati na mga kaso, pero nadagdagan siya by this number. And ‘yung number ng pagdagdag ay significant kaya siya hotspot for us,” she added.

The DOH earlier identified several areas in the Visayas as emerging COVID-19 hotspots. 

“Bakit ba natin ‘yan kinukuha when we do epidemiology? Because we’d like to focus and monitor more on these areas, kasi titingnan natin bakit kaya ang tagal na panahon or dati, wala namang kaso, bakit kaya may biglang kaso ngayon?” Vergeire said.

Indicators

In another briefing Tuesday afternoon, the health official reported that 35.4 percent of intensive care unit (ICU) beds were occupied and 23.4 percent of mechanical ventilators  were in use nationwide as of June 29.

“Sa national scale, magandang indikasyon po ito sapagkat hindi natin nasasagad ang ating mga kagamitan at pasilidad at mayroon pa po tayong puwedeng gamitin,” she said.

In Cebu City, however, 68.3 percent of ICU beds were occupied while 50.3 percent of mechanical ventilators were in use.

Vergeire also said the Philippines’ reproduction number as of June 11 was 1.3, meaning each COVID-19 patient can infect more than one person, while Cebu City had a reproductive number of 2.16 as of June 10.

“Basta’t nasa 1 o mas mababa sa 1 ang ating [reproduction number] ay okay po tayo. Ngayong slightly above po tayo... nangangahulugan po nito na kailangan pa nating magpursigi lalo upang mapababa pa ito,” she said.

Meanwhile, the case doubling time was 7.66 days nationwide and 7.47 days in Cebu City as of June 29.

The Philippines has recorded 37,514 COVID-19 cases with 1,080 new infections as of Tuesday afternoon.

“May bahagyang pagtaas ito kumpara noong sa nakaraang linggo dahil sa mga binabantayan po nating hotspots, ngunit ang mas importante, bantayan din po natin ang mga indicators na tinatalakay po natin kanina,” Vergeire said. -NB, GMA News