Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) — Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion sees no need to implement tougher restrictions in Metro Manila if the hospitalization rate remains low.
“If our Covid cases are not ending up in hospitals, then there is no need for higher alert levels,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Department of Health has not barred the possibility that the capital region may be put anew under the stricter Alert Level 2 due to the increase in cases.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Monday that 14 out of 17 cities and municipality in Metro Manila witnessed a rise in COVID-19 infections.
However, Concepcion said ICU (intensive care unit) rates are still at a low of 20%, while the healthcare utilization rate is at 16.6% nationwide.
Concepcion even cited a statement from infectious diseases expert Dr. Edsel Salvaña, which said that it is “very unlikely” that the pandemic task force would place Metro Manila under Alert Level 2.
“Let us not look at the number of cases, we need to look at the hospital capacity because this is more important to our healthcare system,” Salvaña was quoted as saying in the statement.
Concepcion stressed that the Philippines must focus on “preserving the health of the economy” as he reiterated his call to further ease COVID rules.
He also said that the country is already feeling the wrath of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has caused oil prices to soar, affecting the cost of commodities and basic goods.
Concepcion also warned of possible food shortages.
“This is why we can’t increase our alert levels. Our domestic production, specially in the agri sector, should be strengthened to help the consumers,” he said.
“We can’t go into panic or be paralyzed again when we see infection rates going up. This is not the way we are going to learn to live with Covid,” Concepcion added.
While Dr. Jose Rene de Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPI), agrees with Concepcion, he said the possibility of a surge in cases cannot be ruled out.
“So ‘yung minimum health protocols kailangan i-implement strictly po ‘yan [So the minimum health protocols should be strictly implemented],” he told CNN Philippines News.PH.
Are hospital admissions increasing?
De Grano meanwhile bared that their member hospitals have observed only a “slight increase” in COVID-19 admissions, noting that most of them are only moderate cases.
He also said those with mild symptoms opted to home quarantine.
“Nagkakaroon sila ng self-quarantine and they stay there for about a week until the symptoms subside,” De Grano said. “So, ‘yun ang nakikita natin na kahit sabihin nating maraming nagpo-positive na cases, ang (hospital) admissions po ng COVID ay hindi ganoon karami.”
[Translation: They do self-quarantine and they stay there for about a week until the symptoms subside. So that’s what we’re seeing, even if there are many positive cases, the hospital admissions of COVID are not that many.]
