(Eagle News)–While it is still early to say the Philippines is already flattening the COVID-19 curve, there are “indications” to support this, the Department of Health said on Thursday, April 23.
According to Dr. Beverly Ho, OIC-Director IV for Health Promotion and Communication Service, to say the Philippines was flattening the curve at this point despite the “limitations” in the data “would be irresponsible from our end.”
“..But if you’re talking about indications that it is flattening, yes it is,” she said.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reiterated for instance what she said was the “doubling time” of COVID-19 cases–from three days it was now five days.
She said this meant the increase in COVID-19 cases did not occur so quickly anymore.
Either way, she said once the country’s testing capacities have increased, the DOH would have a clearer picture of what is happening.
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine was forced to scale down operations after several of its personnel were infected with COVID-19, bringing the country’s testing capacity from 4000 to 2800 tests daily.
According to Vergeire, since yesterday though, the country was able to conduct 3200 tests daily.
She said the goal was to get to 8,000 tests per day by April 30.
“Once we can do that, we will be able to somehow detect ‘yung tamang detection at makikita na natin ‘yung actual picture,” Vergeire said.
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to decide today on the fate of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
On Monday, health experts gave a presentation of the COVID-19 situation in the Philippines to the President.
A recommendation, however, will still be submitted to President Duterte early next week.
