DOH: More than 1,200 COVID-19 clusters reported nationwide
MANILA, Philippines — Over 1,245 coronavirus clusters had been identified in the country, more than 80% of which were in communities, the Department of Health said Monday.
Latest data from the DOH showed that 1,054 or around 85% of the clusters were found in communities, not in facilities.
This finding supports a goverment drive for stricter quarantine enforcement at the barangay level, which the Department of the Interior and Local Government plans to do through police "supervisors" and the formation of barangay "disiplina teams."
READ: More emphasis on enforcement as LGUs urged to form 'Disiplina Brigades'
Other clusters were found in the following areas:
- Hospital or health facility: 68
- Jail or prison: 30
- Other settings: 93
Of the 1,245 clusters, 441 or 33% were in Metro Manila, the epicenter of the country’s outbreak.
Meanwhile, 216 clusters were reported in Calabarzon, 176 in Central Visayas and 68 in Central Luzon.
Clustering happens when cases are concentrated in the same geographic location at the same time.
Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna were placed under modified enhanced community until August 18. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce new quarantine classifications Monday night.
The imposition of MECQ was meant to give the government a chance to recalibrate its strategies in addressing the pandemic and was in response to calls from medical societies who were calling for, among other things, better testing and protection for medical workers and better public transportation options.
"Given the community transmission all over the country, and how we now lead ASEAN and the WHO Western Pacific Region, we don't need a repeat of policies that have not proven to be effective in mitigating the spread of the pandemic. Beyond quarantines and lockdowns, more attention must be given to the real frontlines— the communities and workplaces—not just the hospitals," Coalition for People's Right to Health co-convenor Josh San Pedro San Pedro,a doctor, said earlier this month.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country reached 164,474—the highest in Southeast Asia. Government officials attributed this to ongoing community transmission as well as improved testing capacity.
The country also reported 112,759 recoveries and 2,681 deaths. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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