DOH says no need to panic despite uptick in COVID-19 cases
MANILA, Philippines — The increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is not a cause for concern as the recent uptick in infections has not translated to a rise in hospital admissions, the Department of Health said Tuesday.
“We don’t need to panic,” DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing.
“We know that expectedly cases will be here… Cases might increase,” she added.
The health department recorded 8,292 additional COVID-19 cases in the past week. The figure was 7% higher than the cases reported from November 28 to December 4.
“As long as our hospitals are okay, manageable… There is no rise in admissions, not a lot of severe and critical cases, we don’t need to panic,” Vergeire said in Filipino.
Data from the DOH showed there were 650 patients in severe and critical conditions, which represented only 10.6% of total COVID-19 admissions in the country.
Only 22.4% of the country’s 2,435 intensive care unit beds were used as of Sunday, while only 24%% of 19,824 non-ICU beds were occupied.
Health authorities have confirmed more than four million COVID-19 cases, with nearly 65,000 deaths, since the pandemic started in early 2020.
- Latest
- Trending
