DOH maintains COVID-19 situation 'better' now despite questions on data

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday insisted that the COVID-19 situation in the country has improved despite questions from several personalities regarding the veracity of the department's data.

"Mas maganda ang data kasi ang nakukuha natin recovery ngayon mataas na, 73% na," said DOH Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega in an interview on Unang Hirit, adding the death rate is still at 2.2%.

Senator Joel Villanueva and Sorsogon Governor Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Thursday said Filipinos deserve better and that they are fooled by the DOH amid the pandemic.

The statements were issued after the country logged a record-high of 3,954 new COVID cases and 38,075 new recoveries.

In the UH interview, Vega stood by the data, saying it undewent "validation" and "reconciliation" in the DOH.

"Itong mga data natin ho ay mino-monitor ng DOH at bina-valiate at nire-reconcile galing sa mga ating mga local government units at ibat ibang hospitals at ibang mga laboratories'," he said.

He clarified that of the 3,954 newly recorded COVID cases as of July 30, only 1,320 are "fresh" cases. "'Yung 2,634 [ay] late cases 'yun kasi ito yung mga report galing sa laboratories na hindi agad nakapagbigay ng data," he said.

Vega noted that the 1,320 fresh cases on July 30 was better than the 1,874 recorded on July 29.

As for the recoveries, the DOH earlier explained that the data reconciliation efforts led to the identification of over 3,000 new recoveries between July 12 and 14, while the “mass recovery adjustment” on July 15 re-tagged all mild and asymptomatic cases as recovered.

Out of the 38,075 new recoveries, 37,166 were mild or asymptomatic cases recorded in June and July and re-tagged as recovered while 909 were newly reported by regional and epidemiological surveillance units for July 30.

"Dun naman sa mga recovery, alam niyo ang mga asymptomatic at mild cases na COVID positive, 90% po niyan napupunta sa mga isolation, quarantine o kaya sa mga hospital pero di agad nalalagyan ng data sa recovered kasi nadi-discharge kaagad, so to reconcile that parang time-based na ang ginagawa, pag dumaan ka ng quarantine, ng isolation at na-quarantine ka for 14 days ay presumed recovered ka na," Vega explained. —KBK/RSJ, GMA News