DOH: COVID-19 cases going down but some hospitals still 'somewhat full'

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health on Thursday warned against complacency in following health protocols as the number of COVID-19 infections in the country declined.

"We are confirming that cases are declining," DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

According to Vergeire, the agency had studied factors behind the recent decrease in cases such as lower laboratory outputs and fewer hospital admissions. She said the decline in laboratory outputs was due to the use of antigen tests.

"But it’s not a sign to be complacent. Let’s remember that even though the number of cases is decreasing, some of our hospitals are somewhat full," Vergeire said partly in Filipino.

The intensive care unit bed utilization rate is 68%.

"We still need to be careful and decongest hospitals so we can be able to move on and open up some sectors again in our society," she said.

The Philippines on Wednesday reported 9,868 COVID-19 cases. The agency said the lower case count was due to lower laboratory output last Monday.

Vergeire earlier said the decline in new COVID-19 cases could be artificial because the number of coronavirus tests had gone down.

The country has so far recorded 2.6 million COVID-19 cases, including 38,828 deaths, since the start of the pandemic. — Gaea Katreena Cabico