Dizon dismisses Phl epicenter tag
It’s hard to make a comment on a speculative statement made by a newspaper of a foreign country
National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Deputy Chief Implementer and Testing czar Vince Dizon shrugged off the projection published by a Singapore-based newspaper that the Philippines could be the next epicenter of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia.
In a press briefing following the launch of the COVID-19 Command Center at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Gym in Guadalupe, Makati City, Dizon said it’s hard to make a comment on a speculative statement made by a newspaper of a foreign country that the Philippines could be the next coronavirus disease 2019 hotspot, given the continued rise in COVID-19 cases here.
An article published in The
Strait Times said it seems inevitable that the Philippines will be the next epicenter or hotspot of the coronavirus pandemic in South-east Asia, and even all of East Asia, putting a dent on the Philippines COVID-19 response.
It added that only India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have more cases in Asia.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, total COVID-19 cases in the country have reached 115,980, with 47,887 total active cases.
On the other hand, the number of recoveries stood at 66,720 while the total number of deaths is 2,123.
Speculative
“First of all I think it’s very difficult to make speculative statements like that. I rather not comment on the speculations made by a newspaper in another country,” Dizon said.
He, however, admitted that the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country is somewhat expected as the national government intensified its testing initiatives.
Dizon said Department of Health (DoH)-accredited laboratories are now able to test over 30,000 COVID-19 samples per day — the highest in Southeast Asia.
“But I think what the data show us since we ramp up testing, we have found more positive and our people should understand that that is normal,” he added.
Dizon said compared to Indonesia and other countries, the Philippines leads Southeast Asia in terms of its COVID-19 testing per day.
“We are now reaching more than 30,000 per day. Indonesia is almost half of that. Singapore is only almost half, and our testing is more than double of what South Korea is doing. So while we conduct testing, its only normal that we discover more positive cases).
He said if government won’t find the persons who are already positive of the virus, more people will get infected causing more problems to our health care facilities and medical front liners.
Dizon added that the government is planning to open more isolation and COVID-19 beds within the month for better management of the pandemic.
These beds — to be available this month — will bring the total isolation beds in the said regions to 6,000 and the hotel rooms in Metro Manila and other nearby areas, dedicated for coronavirus disease isolation, would also be doubled from the current 1,700.
Ramping up hiring
In a related development, the DoH disclosed that it would take advantage of the 14-day modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) by ramping up its hiring of health workers for the COVID-19 response.
In a statement, Health Undersecretary Leopoldo “Bong” Vega said there is a need for almost 10,000 health care workers.
This comes after President Rodrigo Duterte restored the stricter lockdown in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces following the request of medical societies for a “timeout” and “breathing space” as they warned the health care system was at a breaking point, with weary hospital personnel handling the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Health workers themselves have also been infected with COVID-19, with 5,245 cases as of 4 August.
“We will not end the game but rather we will find fresh or new recruits into the system so the efficiency of our health care workers will be there,” Vega said.
Compared to Indonesia and other countries, the Philippines leads Southeast Asia in terms of its COVID-19 testing per day.
Previously, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the Health department is eyeing to extend the contracts from three months to six months of health workers who were hired to augment the medical workforce.
She added that the DoH will also expedite the emergency hiring of health workers for priority areas such as Metro Manila, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Central Luzon and Cebu to augment medical personnel.
Not that high
Meanwhile, MMDA chairman Danilo Lim, stressed that although COVID-19 cases in the country continues to go up, the case fatality rate compared to other countries is not that high, or less than 2 percent only.
“So this is one bright spot that we should maintain because if I’m not mistaken that case fatality rate in the Philippines is less than 2 percent. In other countries it reaches 5 percent, some even 8, more die,” he said.
Lim said it only means that the country has a better critical care system hence why the case fatality rate is low.
As this developed, National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., admitted that the reversion of Metro Manila and four other provinces — Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna — into MECQ is not enough to contain or arrest new COVID cases.
“With our engagement with the different health professionals we agreed to recalibrate our plan and also make use of these 15 days to prepare us for this COVID pandemic crisis,” he said.
He said through the assistance of Public Works and Highways Secretary and Isolation czar Mark Villar, Health Undersecretary and Treatment czar Leopoldo Vega and Dizon, they are set to convert East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City as COVID dedicated hospital.