The Department of Health (DOH) logged a total of 9,465 new Covid-19 cases from May 1 to May 7, higher by 112 percent as compared to the previous week.
A total of 1,920 cases were recorded on May 7 alone.
The average daily case was pegged at 1,352.
From April 24 to May 7, there were 9 deaths recorded.
Of the 2,097 ICU beds for Covid patients, 346 (16.5 percent) are occupied.
‘Virus is still here’
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, infectious disease specialist Dr. Rogent Solantes warned, “The virus is here.”
“’Yung [lifting of the] health emergency [doesn’t mean] okay na tayo, hindi po. Nandito pa din ang pandemic ang sabi ng WHO we have to continue ano man ang ginagawa natin [The lifting of the global health emergency on Covid-19 doesn’t mean we are already okay, no we are not. The pandemic is still here the WHO said that we to continue what we have been doing],” Solantes said in a radio interview over DZBB.
Solantes said that as compared to the situation three years ago, the situation now is totally different here in the country when it comes to Covid-19 response.
“We all have those mitigating interventions like vaccines, medicines, our doctors can already handle Covid patients well, health facilities are no longer overwhelmed…,” Solantes said in a mix of English and Filipino.
He added that the WHO also noted that cases are getting low, along with deaths, prompting the lifting of the global health emergency.
He, however, reminded the public to continue to observe the minimum public health standards like wearing of facemasks.
He said people should also get their vaccine against Covid-19, especially the vulnerable population.
“It [lifting of global health emergency] doesn’t mean na wala na. Because of the constant mutation of the virus, iba- iba ang hugis, mas lalong nakakahawa. Expected mga kaso tumataas. Also that is driven by the fact na bumababa ang protection ng bakuna (The lifting of the global health emergency doesn’t mean that the virus is not here. Because of the constant mutation of the virus, the different shapes, it is more infectious. It’s expected that the cases will increase. Also that is driven by the fact that the protection given by the vaccines decrease,” he said stressing that Covid-19 vaccines’ potency against the virus wane considerably from six to eight months. -30-