DOH: COVID-19 daily bulletins may return in case of uptick in infections

The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday said the daily COVID-19 case bulletin may possibly return if there will be an uptick in COVID-19 infections, adding that it will still focus on severe and critical cases.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire was asked if the DOH will still issue a daily COVID-19 case bulletin after it shifted to a weekly basis, focusing on active severe and critical infections and the intensive care unit (ICU) utilization last March 7.

“Kapag nakita natin na may pag-uptick ulit ng kaso, definitely, para ma-track po natin, lahat ito po ay ibabalik as to the number of cases but this will be different,” Vergeire said in an online forum.

“When we tried to return this o ibalik natin kasi kahit na nandoon yung mga kaso mas ipapakita pa rin natin yung mga severe at critical at yung pagkapuno ng ating mga hospital,” she added.

Vergeire, however, noted that it will be revised to align with the Health department’s currently weekly COVID-19 case bulletin.

She earlier said the new COVID-19 bulletin aims to focus on the severity of the patients’ condition and the healthcare utilization in the country.

COVID-19 cases now on a ‘slow decline’

The Health undersecretary reported that the COVID-19 cases in the country are now on a “slow decline,” saying that the average daily cases per day in the recent week is lower by 29% than cases last week.

Vergeire said the average daily reported infections from March 10 to 16 are 534, and 752 for the period of March 3 to 9.

“Our epidemic curve shows a swift decline following a peak of cases, this decline has slowed down over the past two weeks,” she said.

Based on the data of the National Admissions by Health Status, there were 1,257 reported asymptomatic cases and 2,382 mild cases as of March 15.

“Sa kasalukuyan bumababa na rin by 71% ang ating national admissions na nagpeak noong January of this year. Sa ngayon nasa 5,890 na lamang ang ating admissions at nakikita natin na nagplaplateu na ito sa mga nakaraang araw,” Vergeire said.

Vergeire said the 18% bed utilization rate is considered low risk.

Meanwhile, the national intensive care unit utilization rate decreased by 32 percentage points now to 19% from 51% on January 22, 2022.—LDF, GMA News