Duque defends decision not to release daily COVID-19 tallies

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday defended the decision of the Department of Health (DOH) to no longer post daily COVID-19 tallies on social media starting next year to give way for qualitative and situational reports on its website.

Duque assured the public that DOH would provide more analysis and situational reports on the daily COVID-19 tallies, which will be easier to understand.

“Unang una hindi naman tama para sabihin na hindi na mag-uulat ang DOH ng kaso, pinag-isa lang 'yung ating case bulletin at yung situational report, pero ito mas magiging qualitative 'yung hindi lang puro numero,” Duque told Super Radyo dzBB.

(It is not true that the DOH will no longer report the daily case bulletins, we just combined our case bulletin and the situational report, but it will be more qualitative, not just pure numbers.)

“Mahirap na puro numero lang 'yung nilalabas natin kailangan mayroon ding storya sa likod ng mga numero para mas maganda analysis at mas maiintindihan ng taong bayan,” he added.

(It is difficult that we only post numbers and data, there must also be a story behind those numbers for better analysis and for the people to understand better.)

According to the DOH, it will be providing daily case updates on its website (www.doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker) which is updated 4 p.m. daily starting January 1, 2022.

The DOH said the public tracker also contains detailed information of the COVID-19 case bulletin and the daily situational report.

Duque said it would also include other updates and information of the other health department’s programs such as the anti-firecracker drive and vaccination campaign in the country.

“Isasama na rin 'yung mga ibang public health worthy news hindi lang tayo puro COVID kasi andami-dami rin nating ibang sakit. Kagaya ng iwas-paputok campaign natin, 'yung ating vaccination program bigyan-diin natin 'yan dahil 'yan ang may halaga na mga public health programs na dapat maibahagi rin sa bayan,” he added.

(Other public health worthy news will also be included. We will not just only report COVID-19 cases because we also have many other diseases. We will also include our fireworks prevention campaign and vaccination program because those are the important public health programs that should also be shared to the public.)

Avoid firecracker injuries

Meanwhile, Duque also advised parents to keep their children safe to avoid firecracker injuries during the celebration of the New Year.

“Alam ninyo ang paputok ke-legal or illegal walang ligtas na paputok, kahit 'yung piccolo o 'yung maliliit pwedeng maka-pabulag ng bata. Tapos paano kapag 'yung bata naputulan ng daliri eh, papano pa papasok 'yan dahil laking pahirap buong buhay mayroong pasanin 'yung bata,” he said.

(There are no safe firecrackers whether it is legal or illegal, even the piccolo or the small ones can blind a child. If the child’s finger was injured, it can cause a lot of burden to the child.)

The Health secretary urged parents to check the belongings of their children for possible firecrackers and properly dispose it.

He also discouraged the use of torotot to prevent the possible transmission of the viral disease amid the Omicron variant threat.

“Wala pa naman talagang community transmission ng Omicron pero dapat ang ating kilos, galaw, at pagpaplano i-assume natin na parang meron nang Omicron para talagang nakahanda tayo. We prepare for the worst case scenario,” he added.

(There is no community transmission of Omicron yet but we must be vigilant and plan for the possible worst case scenario.)—AOL, GMA News