One Hospital Command Center got up to 500 daily calls in August — official
MANILA, Philippines — The government's hospital referral center for coronavirus patients on Friday said it saw an exponential rise in calls per day among those seeking assistance for the entire August.
Numbers presented by Dr. Marylaine Padlan of the One Hospital Command Center reflected the new uptick in infections last month, where authorities reported more than 400,000 cases.
Over a government briefing, she said calls were up by 200%. That meant the center averaged 400 to 500 per day, compared to the 100 to 200 in July.
"Around 20% of the calls were from Metro Manila," Padlan said, referring to the capital region which has remained under strict lockdown.
The official added they have yet to finalize the number this week between end-August to the first four days of September. But she noted there was barely a change.
"When we looked at the daily data, it's still the same," Padlan said in Filipino. "But when we compared it to the number of cases before the surge, it's admittedly higher now."
Apart from Metro Manila, she added the center took many calls as well from Calabarzon and Central Luzon.
Data from the Department of Health on Friday showed the country's hospital bed occupancy was at 66%, a few percentage points before hitting the critical level of 70%.
ICU bed occupancy was at 72% and ward beds at 71%, while 56% of ventilators were utilized.
Padlan said other than the three regions she mentioned, these areas are also at high risk: Cordillera Administration Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao, and Davao Region.
Officials reported 20,310 new COVID-19 cases today, the second highest since the pandemic hit last year.
Active cases also significantly rose by 12,484 to bring the number to 158,994.
As infections continue to hit record-highs, Padlan sought to appeal for understanding for those unable to connect to reach the center.
"We are asking for your patience because with more cases, we're also seeing congestion in our lines," she said in Filipino.
- Latest
- Trending
