Vergeire says all COVID-19 data will still be available on DOH website in 2022

The Department of Health (DOH) is looking for a new way to better guide the public about the COVID-19 situation in the country but all pertinent information will still be accessible to the public through its website, a Health official said on Tuesday.

In a radio interview, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire clarified that nothing will be removed from the COVID-19 data that they provide daily but the analysis of it will be made available on their website starting next year.

“Nagre-reformat at re-strategize lang tayo para mas ma-better guide natin ‘yung mga tao ukol sa sitwasyon natin sa COVID-19. But definitely the information for the public will still be there,” she said.

(We are just reformatting and restrategizing to better guide the public regarding the COVID-19 situation, but definitely all information will still be there.)

The DOH announced on Monday it would no longer issue daily COVID-19 bulletins starting Saturday, January 1, 2022.

All COVID-19 data will then be transferred to the COVID-19 tracker on the DOH website at doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker, and will be updated every 4 p.m. daily.

Since the start of the pandemic, the DOH has been posting a COVID-19 case bulletin on their social media pages which includes the number of new and total confirmed cases, recoveries, deaths, as well as occupancy of hospitals in the whole country and the National Capital Region.

It also shows how many COVID-19 tests were conducted and the percentage of those who tested positive. A tally of the health condition of the positive patients — whether they are asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe, or critical — is also provided in the bulletin.

“We have assessed na itong case bulletin, ‘yung mga datos na nakapaloob dito, hindi na masyadong ginagamit ng mga tao at ‘yung main messaging ay hindi nakukuha masyado,” Vergerie explained.

(We have assessed that the data incorporated in the case bulletin are not often used by the people, thus the main messaging is not much received.)

What the DOH will then do is to retain the COVID-19-related numbers but will have the public referred to on their website tracker.

Vergeire said they will issue advisories with the reported COVID-19 case number and condensed analysis daily.

“So ang lalabas sa amin ngayon ay hindi na ‘yung case bulletin ngunit parang analysis to better guide our public kung ano ‘yung dapat gawin at anong nangyayari talaga dito sa ating bansa with regards to COVID-19,” she added.

(What the public will instead get from us is an analysis to better guide them on what to do and to show what really is happening in the country with regards to COVID-19.)

Several senators on Monday however said they are not in favor of the DOH's decision to halt the daily posting of the COVID-19 case bulletin starting January 1, 2022.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri called this decision as a “mistake."

Senator Joel Villanueva pointed out that while the COVID-19 cases are currently low, the government must continue to be vigilant and it should encourage the public to continuously monitor the developments related to COVID-19.

Senator Francis Pangilinan made a similar point, saying accurate information about the spread of the disease is “crucial in knowing whether or not the spread of the virus is being effectively addressed or not.”

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon said the public must always be informed to make sure that Filipinos know how to protect themselves from contracting the virus.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, on the other hand, sensed an “agenda” behind the DOH’s latest policy.

The DOH on Monday reported 318 more COVID-19 infections, raising the country’s total case count to 2,838,792.

Recoveries reached 2,778,002, with 255 new ones, while 11 more people died, pushing the nationwide COVID-19 death toll to 51,211.

Active cases totaled 9,579. —KG, GMA News