Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 28) — The Palace said there was no need to be alarmed at the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country, saying the death toll remained low.
“Hindi naman po dapat ikabahala ng tuluyan itong numerong ito… dahil kakaunti lang po ang nagkakasakit ng severe or accute,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in his regular televised briefing Tuesday.
[Translation: There is no need to be alarmed over these numbers…because there are very few severe or acute cases.]
As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the Department of Health said there were 83,673 COVID-19 cases in the country. The death toll is now at 1,947, while recoveries are at 26,617.
Roque reacted strongly to criticism from Senator Franklin Drilon that the government failed to properly address the crisis.
“Hindi kami sumasang-ayon sa sinasabi ni Senator (Franklin) Drilon. Dahil kung tayo ay pumalpak ng gaya ng sinasabi niya, nagkatotoo po sana yung forecast ng UP na 3.5 million ngayon ang may sakit. Sabi pa nga nung isang think tank, 20 million dapat ngayon ang may sakit… Hindi ba ‘yan pruweba na meron tayong mga hakbang na ginawa na tama?” Roque said.
[Translation: We do not agree with what Senator Drilon is saying. Because if we failed, as he claimed, then the 3.5 million cases forecast by UP would have happened. One think tank even said there could have been 20 million people sick by now… Isn’t that proof that we have taken measures that were correct?]
During the briefing, Roque added that while new COVID-19 cases are rising, data from the past two weeks show that new cases seem to have plateaued.
“Bagama’t tumataas ang kaso ng bagong COVID na nagkakasakit, yung suma total naman po ng lumipas na dalawang linggo ay nagpapakita na parang nagpa-plateau po ang mga bagong kaso, at least dito sa lumipas na dalawang linggo,” he said.
[Translation: Although COVID cases are rising, the sum total for the past two weeks show that it seem that new cases are plateauing, at least in the past two weeks.]
Roque said the case doubling rate in the country is now at 8.6 days.
