DOH logs 30% jump in weekly Covid-19 cases at 2,847 a day

THE Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported that 19,930 Covid-19 cases were logged from July 19 to July 25, averaging 2,847 cases per day.

This was higher by 30 percent as compared to the country’s daily average from the previous week, at 2,190 cases per day.

The DOH also warned that the agency’s latest projections show that rise in cases may translate to a spike in total and ICU admissions in October, if compliance with minimum public health standard (MPHS) continues to decline and booster rates remain low.

Th ed oh, however, ensured that all hospitals and health facilities could be able to provide appropriate critical care capacity that is accessible to all, especially to vulnerable individuals, and to be able to maintain a decreased impact on the country’s health-care system.

“With a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases, the DOH reminds the general public to remain vigilant and adhere to our minimum public health standards such as wearing the best-fitted masks, social distancing, and immediate isolation at the onset of symptoms,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, DOH Officer in Charge, said.

Severe and critical

ON July 24, there were 666 critical and severe cases admitted in the hospitals.

As of July 24, 2022, national total bed utilization was at 26 percent, while ICU bed utilization was at 22 percent.

According to the DOH, total and ICU bed utilization rates for Covid-19, at both the national and regional levels, remain to be at low risk. This despite sustained case increases observed over the past month.

The DOH also observed a slow and smaller upward trend of Covid-19 admission over the past week.

Most of these admissions, the DOH said, were asymptomatic and mild, numbering 1,471 or 59 percent of the 2,487 admissions.

“Week by week, a larger sevenday moving average [7DMA] is being recorded. This is correlated with the observed increases in weekly positivity rates now at 14 percent nationally. The case increases were also observed across all age groups,” the DOH said.

Vaccination

OVER 71 million individuals or 91.61 percent of the target population were vaccinated.

Meanwhile, 15.9 million individuals received their booster shots.

There were also 6.7-million senior citizens or 77.87 percent of the A2 population who have received their primary series.

“We also encourage the eligible population to get vaccinated and boosted with our Covid-19 vaccines to continue building a strong wall of immunity against the virus. While we now focus more on our admissions, we should still give importance to contributing factors that we can control,” Vergeire said.