(Eagle News) – The Department of Health said that the doubling time of the coronavirus cases, meaning the time it takes for the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to double, has further slowed down.
From three days, the doubling time has now slowed down to five days on the average, according to experts.
This is one of two “good news” that the DOH announced on Tuesday, April 21, more than a month after the enhanced community quarantine has been put in place.
This means that the ECQ has been effective in stemming the spread of the coronavirus, DOH Spokesperson, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
But she said that they are aiming for a doubling time of about 30 days.
So from the current number of 6,559 confirmed cases, the DOH hopes that the cases would just reach around 12,000 by May 20 or even end of May.
“Ito ay malaki nang improvement,” Vergeire said referring to the doubling time of six days. “Pero syempre, mas gusto natin na mahigit sa 30 araw ang ating doubling time.”
“Ibig sabihin kung kahapon, April 20, anim na libo ang ating kaso, dapat sa May 20, 12,000 pa lang ang kaso natin kung gusto natin na 30 days ang ating doubling time, she explained.
And there is more good news, according to DOH Spokesperson Undersecretary Vergeire.
-30 provinces have zero to very few COVID-19 cases-
Another good news is that most of the cases of COVID-19 in the country occur in Metro Manila, and there are still more provinces with no COVID-19 or just a few cases if any.
“Ikalawa, karamihan ng mga kaso ay patuloy pa rin na nandito sa National Capital Region (NCR), may pagkalat na nangyayari sa ibang parte ng bansa, pero may mga probinsya na wala pa ring kaso o matagal ang pagtaas ng kaso. Matagal ang doubling time ika nga,” Vergeire said.
As of April 21, 4 p.m., COVID-19 cases at the National Capital Region reached 4,600.
Vergeire said that 30 provinces still have zero to just a few cases of COVID-19.
“Mga 30 probinsya ito na kinakailangang patuloy na maging maingat para tuluy tuloy lang ang good news sa kanila,” she said.
But the DOH official said that this is no time to be complacent, as the enemy – the coronavirus disease is a traitorous enemy,
“Ang dalawang good news na ito ay hindi permanente. Nakita natin sa ibang mga bansa na talagang puedeng maging taksil o traydor ang coronavirus na kinakalaban natin sa ngayon,” Vergeire said.
She noted that just when you think that you have defeated the virus, it can come back with a vengeance especially if the protocols on physical
distance, proper handwashing, cough etiquette, and sanitation and disinfection of surfaces, are not practiced.
“Huwag na huwag po tayong maging complacent,” she said.
“Puedeng pumangit ang balita pag nakalimutan natin an gating mga responsibilidad bilang homeliners.”
She said that the goal of the enhanced community quarantine is to flatten the curve and to give the government more time to prepare the necessary equipment, personnel, testing and other facilities to defeat the virus, and to prevent it from infecting more people.
(Eagle News Service)
