Vergeire: No need to fear increase in number of new COVID-19 cases

There's no need to fear the 19% increase in the number of new COVID-19 infections recorded the past week, Department of Health officer in charge Dr. Ma. Rosario Vergeire said on Tuesday.

Vergeire made the remark after the country registered from March 13 to March 19 1,171 new coronavirus cases,  which was 19% higher than the 983 cases from March 6 to March 12.

She said admissions in all hospitals across the country were “manageable” and the severe and critical COVID-19 cases, and even deaths, had been “kept at that minimum.”

“Hindi po tayo dapat matakot. Hindi po tayo dapat mag-alala. Bagkus, dapat tayo ay constantly aware and dapat mapagmatyag tayo o vigilant,” Vergeire said.

(We should not be afraid. We should not worry. Rather, we must be constantly aware and vigilant.)

“‘Yun pong pagtaas, pagbaba, pagkakaron ng kaso ng COVID-19 expected po natin ‘yan. Hindi pa naman nawawala ang virus dito sa ating bansa. Ito ay nananatiling kasama natin dito kaya nga tuloy tuloy pa rin ang ating interventions para ma-proteksyunan natin ang ating populasyon,” she added.

(We expected the increase and decrease in COVID-19 cases because the virus has not yet left our country. It remains with us here, so our interventions are still ongoing so that we can protect our population.)

Vergeire encouraged the public to keep on wearing their face masks, and get themselves vaccinated.

Based on DOH’s latest data, more than 78 million Filipinos, or 100.44% of the government’s target population, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The number of boosted individuals is at 23 million. —NB, GMA Integrated News