DOH: Uptick in COVID-19 cases expected due to holiday gatherings

While there was a possibility that COVID-19 infections would again increase due to the gatherings over the holidays, the Department of Health (DOH) stressed that hospitals are ready should this happen.

DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said this at a press conference on Sunday when asked about the likelihood that the Philippines would also experience a surge in COVID-19 cases like that in China.

Aside from the big gap in population size between the Philippines and China, the two countries had different approaches to combating the pandemic, Vergeire explained.

Nevertheless, there was always a possibility of COVID-19 cases rising in the Philippines.

“Kung saka-sakali man na medyo tataas ang kaso in the coming days, that is expected kasi nag-holidays tayo, lumabas ang mga tao, nagtipon-tipon, nagka-parties,” she said.

(If by chance cases would increase in the coming days, that was expected because of the holidays - people went out, gathered, and had parties.)

“Pero hopefully, at sa tingin, natin hindi naman ganoon tataas. At kung sakaling mangyayari ‘yan, handa ang sistema natin para tayo ay makaagapay dito sa mga pagtaas ng kaso because of COVID-19,” she added.

(But hopefully, in our view, it will not increase that much. If ever that happens, our system is ready to cope with the increase in COVID-19 cases.)

Vergeire also said that many Filipinos still opted to wear face masks, despite it being voluntary both in outdoor and indoor spaces.

“You choose and we choose to wear the masks so we can be safe, and I think that is going to work for us,” she said.

The Philippines on Saturday logged 591 COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide caseload to 4,064,443 on the last day of 2022.

The DOH also recommended to the Office of the President (OP) a further extension of the state of calamity in the Philippines due to COVID-19. — DVM, GMA Integrated News