MANILA — The Philippines might report around 20,000 new COVID-19 cases daily next week, the OCTA research group warned on Wednesday, as authorities tried to limit cases of the omicron variant spreading globally.
“By next week, most likely madadagdagan pa ‘yan. Posibleng dumoble pa ‘yan, aabot tayo mga 20,000 plus,” David said in a televised public briefing. The Philippines has detected at least 14 cases of the omicron variant of concern. Its capacity for genome sequencing is limited. Despite these figures, David noted the capital region's 34-percent healthcare utilization was still far from the 70-percent critical threshold.
He also noted that Metro Manila imposed additional mobility restrictions on unvaccinated people. “Sa tingin natin, makakatulong ito,” he said. He appealed to the public, “Kailangan natin magtulungan, gawin natin iyong parte natin. Sumunod tayo sa public health standards.”
Prevention is better than cure. Vaccinated or not, if people stayed in their own homes, practiced due diligence of not partying and incessant going to malls & tiangges with kids, we could have avoided another surge, knowing that Omicron entered PH last Nov 2021.