AMID the surge in coronavirus infections and saturated hospitals, Malacañang hinted at the possibility of imposing stricter restrictions starting April.
In a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the government is looking at figures covering daily attack rates to determine the percentage of an at-risk population that contracts the disease during a specified time interval.
Likewise being considered is the hospital utilization rates, in evaluating whether or not the country should enforce tougher lockdowns.
More and more Metro Manila hospitals have expressed concern on what they claim as nearing full capacity due to the increasing number of COVID-19 patients.
The last seven days showed the Philippines logging 4,000 to 5,000 additional cases daily.
Roque expressed confidence that the country could contain virus transmission due to stricter curbs imposed by local government units, but said wider lockdowns cannot be ruled out if “that does not happen by April.”
“I’m confident that we can arrest the spread (of COVID-19). In fact, it is already decreasing. We used to report 5,000 (cases) daily, but now we have been recording 4,000 (cases) only,” the Palace official said in a televised briefing.
“If that does not happen by April, we have fixed formulas in determining quarantine classifications, anyway. If our health care utilization rate would hit the critical level, then that may justify changing our quarantine status. But hopefully not,” Roque added.
So far, COVID-19 has infected 635,698 people and killed 12,866 in the Philippines.