Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 9) — The independent OCTA Research group said it expects daily COVID-19 figures to again drop to three digits by March.
But it added this would only be possible if the infection count will keep its downward trend.
“We are hoping by March, babalik na ‘yan sa three-digits basta tuloy-tuloy lang yung pagbaba ng bilang ng kaso at walang mangyayaring spike o major upticks. By March, ganoon na rin ang sitwasyon natin sa buong bansa,” OCTA Research fellow Guido David said in a public briefing on Wednesday.
[Translation: We’re hoping by March, it will return to three digits as long as cases continue to go down and there will be no spike or major upticks. By March, that will be situation nationwide.]
The country on Tuesday reported 3,574 new COVID-19 cases – the lowest daily count since Dec. 31 of last year, when 2,961 new infections were tallied.
The last time the country recorded three-digit fresh cases was on Dec. 29 with 889.
Asked if the alert level system should be removed already, OCTA said it should be maintained while there is still a pandemic.
“Ang makakapagsabi niyan ay yung World Health Organization, isang governing body internationally, ay masabing wala na tayong state of pandemic, pwede na siguro natin tanggalin yung alert level system,” David said.
[Translation: It’s the World Health Organization which can say we are no longer in a state of pandemic. Maybe we can already remove the alert level system by that time.]
