The Department of Health (DOH) declared that the number of daily coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases is decreasing.
“We are confirming that the cases are declining,” Health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a virtual briefing.
Vergeire earlier announced that new infections reported in the National Capital Region (NCR) Plus area and Luzon were lessening.
But the decrease must be assessed first if this a true decline or if it was influenced by other things such as the decline in the number of RT-PCR tests conducted across the country.
“That was what we did. We got all the factors, we identified all the factors, and we tried to analyze kung talagang kumpirmado po that the decline of cases is not affected by any other factor at ito po ay totong pagbaba (actual decline),” she said.
She further explained that the decrease in laboratory outputs was influenced by the use of antigen tests.
“Pangalawa, nakita din po natin na with this decrease in test outputs na meron tayo, ‘yung positivity rate natin bumababa pa rin, that’s second,” she said.
Hospitals have also seen a decrease in new patients admissions. But this is not something to be complacent of since hospital utilization rates remain high.
“Although 68% lang ang ating ICU utilization ngayon, kailangan pa rin natin pag-ingatan na matuloy maibaba at ma-decongest ang ating mga ospital so that we can move on and open up some sectors in our economy,” she said. Ronald Espartinez