Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17) — Calls to the country’s One Hospital Command Center have gone up following the rise in daily COVID-19 cases, according to Treatment czar and Health Undersecretary Dr. Leopoldo Vega.
From an average of 80, Vega said they now receive 250 to 260 calls per day.
“Karamihan ng mga tawag na ‘to ay yung mga pasyente na nangangailangan ng isolation sa quarantine at temporary treatment facilities,” he told CNN Philippines’ Newsroom Ngayon on Wednesday.
[Translation: Most of these calls are for patients who need to be isolated in quarantine or temporary treatment facilities.]
However, despite the rise in the number of cases, Vega said hospitals nationwide remain in a “low-risk” category.
“Ibig sabihin noon, na yung ating capacity na mag-handle ng COVID-19 sa ward at sa isolation ay nasa 40%, pero sa ICU nasa 47%. Ngunit kakaiba po pagdating sa Metro Manila kasi alam naman natin na nag-spike siya in the last three weeks…Ngayon po ang isolation facilities natin sa hospitals at yung mga beds for COVID na nasa hospitals, nasa 51% na po silang occupied. Samantalang yung intensive care units ng both private at public hospitals…umaabot na sa 60 to 62%,” he said.
[Translation: This means that our capacity to handle COVID-19 in wards and isolation are at 40%, but in ICUs it’s at 47%. However, it’s different when it comes to Metro Manila because we all know cases spiked in the last three weeks…Now, isolation facilities in hospitals and COVID beds in hospitals are 51% occupied. Intensive care units in both private and public hospitals…reach 60 to 62%.]
Vega said this should be taken as a warning that measures should be taken to prevent and mitigate the transmission of the virus. He added they would be asking hospitals to increase bed allocation to accommodate the “surge” in cases.
READ: QC hospital occupancy rate now critical, mayor says
The Department of Health reported 4,387 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, pushing the total to 635,698.
Of this total, 61,733 are active cases or those who are currently ill, equivalent to 9.7% of the tally. It is the highest active case count after September 26 last year, when there were over 63,000 sick patients.
