According to professor Guido David, the country could see less than 1,000 cases by the first week of December, assuming the decline in numbers continues.
“Baka [Probably] by end of December, possible bumaba pa ‘yan to 500, pero [it’s possible for that number to further drop to 500, but] we have to sustain our efforts,” he told CNN Philippines’ Newsroom Weekend.
Guido also said while the latest single-day tally reached over 2,000 again for the first time in 11 days, it’s not yet a cause for alarm.
“Since isang araw pa lang naman, hindi pa siya alarming. Possible kasi na backlog lang ‘yan eh, kasi minsan nagkakaroon ng massive backlog reporting, ibig sabihin mga lumang cases na ngayon lang na-report or nadagdag sa database,” he said.
[Translation: Since it has only been one day, it’s not yet alarming. It’s possible that the increase is simply due to backlog, because sometimes there is a massive reporting backlog, meaning these are old cases that have just been reported or encoded in the database.]
However, he added that the possibility of a spike in infections can’t be discounted.
Citing the ongoing surge in cases in Europe and the waning efficacy of some vaccines, Guido reiterated the need to continue observing minimum health standards.
He also stressed the importance of getting vaccinated and ensuring children’s compliance with health protocols, noting that those infected in Europe and other countries are mostly the unvaccinated and minors.
To date, a total of 2,826,410 people in the country have been infected with COVID-19, of whom 21,101 are currently sick. Some 2.75 million have recovered, while the death toll has climbed past 47,000.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 21) — New COVID-19 cases nationwide may drop to around 500 a day by year-end, but only with continued efforts to sustain the current case trends, a member of the OCTA Research group said on Sunday.
