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Duque tells public: No need to worry about rise in COVID cases


Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday assured the public there is nothing to worry about the recent uptick in number of COVID-19 cases, but he also warned against falling into complacency.

Duque responded to a question raised during the Department of Health's Back-to-Vax Champion COVID-19 vaccination event.

There is "no need" to worry "at this point. But the situation doesn't present itself as an excuse to be complacent. So, we still have to comply strictly with our masking mandate, and the rest of the minimum public health standards,” he pointed out.

Duque said he expects that a possible surge in COVID-19 cases would be “minor and short-lived and would not overwhelm the healthcare system’s capacity.”

He noted that the average daily attack rate (ADAR) in the country is less than one per 100,000 population.

Likewise, he said that the healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) in the NCR is only 25%, adding that before it will be placed to moderate risk level it should be between 50 to 70%.

Earlier, the DOH reported that while Metro Manila showed a positive two-week growth rate, its average daily attack rate (ADAR) is still below six at less than one case per 100,000 population.

According to the DOH, an area will be classified as moderate risk if it has a positive two-week growth rate and average daily attack rate of at least six average cases per day per 100,000 population.

Meanwhile, the Philippines recorded 425 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest new daily infections in over two months, since the 690 recorded on April 3. 

QC warning status

Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte clarified that the “yellow” COVID-19 alert status was made to guide authorities in handling the situation in the city.

“Mayroon po kasi kaming dinevelop yung amin pong sariling localized early warning system na kung saan may white, yellow, at red at may indicators lang po kung saan halimbawa kayo ay naging early warning color yellow, ay may kaakibat na action,” she said.

(We have developed our own localized early warning system where there are white, yellow, and red, and there are only indicators where for example if it becomes an early warning color yellow, there is a corresponding set of actions.)

“So yan po ay aming dinevelop para mas maunawaan ng aming barangay at komunidad para alam na nila kung ano ang gagawin kung nagpapalit ng kulay,” she added.

(So that's what we have developed to guide our communities to respond accordingly if the warning system changes color.)

Quezon City over the weekend raised its COVID-19 warning to yellow alert status, following the increase of average daily cases being recorded in the area.

The local government earlier stressed that Quezon City remains under Alert Level 1 status under the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases' alert level system. The city's yellow alert level is a call for heightened monitoring.

Belmonte said that the alert warning system was proven effective for the residents and officials in the community.

Earlier, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the city remains at low risk for COVID-19. —LBG, GMA News

 

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