Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 4) — OCTA Research fellow Guido David does not see the COVID-19 cases in the country hitting the three-million mark by the end of the year.
The total number of cases as of Nov. 3 is nearly 2.8 million.
“My fearless forecast is that we won’t reach three million cases this year,” David said Thursday in an online media forum.
There are a few areas that are of “slight concern” but most localities are experiencing a downward trend in cases, the data expert said.
In the past week, the country is averaging less than 4,000 cases per day, David said.
Based on his projections, the country’s seven-day case average may drop below 2,000 by the end of November.
He also said the country could be registering only “three-digit cases” if the COVID-19 vaccination rate further increases.
Another way to prevent another spike in cases is administering booster shots, according to David.
“Once the vaccines start losing their effectiveness, we might see more outbreaks,” he said. “That is why we support having the booster shots even before they happen.”
David also underscored the need to convince more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as he expressed concern over an OCTA Research survey result showing “significant vaccine hesitancy” in rural areas in Visayas and Mindanao.
