DOH: 1,259 to 5,375 new COVID-19 cases daily seen in NCR if booster rate stays low

More than 1,000 to over 5,000 new COVID-19 cases daily are expected in the National Capital Region starting in October if booster rates and the vaccination of seniors remained low, the Department of Health has said.

Citing the new projections last September 2, DOH officer in charge said the increase of daily COVID-19 cases would continue if there will be a slow booster uptake among the senior citizens.

“Mayroon tayong mga bagong projections I think that was September 2, this is from the NCR lang, at base dito kung magtutuloy tuloy ang ating slow booster uptake at saka yung ating pagbabakuna sa mga nakakatanda at wala naman bagong variant na lalabas and the mobility remains at this level, we might be seeing around 1,259 to 5,375 cases per day. This may start in the start of October and pwede itong magtuloy tuloy,” Vergeire said at the press briefing.

(We have new projections I think that was September 2, this is only from the NCR, and based on this if our slow booster uptake continues and also our vaccination for the elderly and no new variant will appear and the mobility remains and this level, we might be seeing around 1,259 to 5,375 cases per day. This may start in the beginning of October and it can continue.)

Vergeire said the projections were based on scientific assumptions and could change depending on the booster uptake and compliance of the public with minimum health protocols.

The DOH official, meanwhile, said that the healthcare utilization rate in the country is still at “low risk.”

“Our healthcare utilization right now is still at low risk, less than 30% both for the ward utilization and ICU utilization. Kaya lang may nakikita tayong medyo pagtaas sa BARMM area para sa ICU utilization. Noong tinignan natin dahil meron silang 11 na severe at critical na naka-admit sa kanilang hospitals,” she said.

(Our healthcare utilization right now is still at low risk, less than 30% both for ward utilization and ICU utilization. However, we see a slight increase in the BARMM area for ICU utilization. They have 11 severe and critical patients admitted in their hospitals.)

“But just to say and to tell you sa ibang lugar sa bansa wala naman tayong nakikitang ganito so we are closely monitoring at ating binibigyan na lubos na assistance ang ating BARMM in terms dito sa pagbabakuna pati na rin dito sa kanilang healthcare system,” she added.

(But just to say and to tell you in other parts of the country, we don't see anything like this so we are closely monitoring and we are giving our BARMM full assistance in terms of vaccination as well as their healthcare system.)

Vaccination updates

Based on the DOH’s data, at least 72.2 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated, as of September 8.

Around 6.8 million senior citizens, almost 9.9 million adolescents, and 4.8 million children were already inoculated, according to the DOH.

More than 18.4 million individuals have received their first booster dose while more than 2.4 million individuals have received their second booster shots.

For the Health department’s PinasLakas campaign, at least 27,907 senior citizens out of the 1.07 million target have been vaccinated as of September 8.

The campaign aimed to give booster shots to 23.8 million Filipinos within the first 100 days of the Marcos administration.

Meanwhile, a total of 2,411,703 individuals of the 23 million target received first booster shots.

The DOH said 19,283 PinasLakas sites have been launched all over the country, which include areas such as markets, schools, workplaces, terminals, places of worship, and mobile vaccination sites among others where free, safe, and effective vaccines are made available. —NB, GMA News