MANILA, Sept 27 (NNN-PNA) – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 301,256, with 2,747 new infections reported by the health ministry yesterday.
The ministry said, the number of recoveries rose to 232,906, after 787 more patients recovered. Meanwhile, 88 more patients died from the pandemic, bringing the death toll to 5,284.
The capital region, Metro Manila, was the country’s worst hit area with 1,115 cases newly confirmed yesterday.
The ministry said, over 3.37 million people in the Philippines have been tested so far.
Health Undersecretary, Maria Rosario Vergeire, said, the ministry is seeing an “improvement” in the country’s critical care utilisation rate in the last two weeks, adding that, there has been a “slow decongestion” in hospitals, including in Metro Manila.
Vergeire said, the critical care utilisation rate in Metro Manila, the epicentre of the outbreak, went down to about 60 percent from a high of up to 81 percent – a level considered the “danger zone” – in Aug.
The critical care utilisation rate serves as an indicator, based on the use of mechanical ventilators, intensive care unit beds and isolation beds in hospitals.
“We can see the slow decongestion of our facilities, meaning hospitals have the capacity to take in more COVID-19 patients,” Vergeire said.
While the transmission rate has gone down to less than one, and it now takes a long time for COVID-19 cases and deaths to double, she said the health ministry continues to monitor virus clusters in Metro Manila and other regions.
The health ministry is closely monitoring 1,963 virus clusters in hospitals, jails, and densely populated communities.
“We need to look at the other indicators because there are still specific areas in Metro Manila that there are still clustering of cases, and there is an observed increase of cases,” she said.
Despite the improvement, the government must continue to strengthen the health system in efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
“Let us remain to be vigilant. Protect yourselves. Let us not be complacent because we are hearing that our health system capacity is improving. Let us continue to follow health protocols to prevent infection and protect our families,” she said.
Metro Manila remains under general community quarantine until Sept 30. The government will announce whether to ease or retain the lock-down status for the following weeks before the end of the month.– NNN-PNA
