MANILA, Philippines — An association of private hospitals said Saturday that they can still handle COVID-19-related admissions, describing these as "manageable" amid the reported rise in infections.
"There was a slight increase in admissions, but it has been manageable. There are many times when admitted patients are symptomatic, but [the manifestations] are not that severe," Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi) President Dr. Jose Rene De Grano said in Filipino during an interview with Laging Handa on Saturday.
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Health authorities earlier said that the COVID-19 reproduction rate in Metro Manila rose to 1.25 on May 23, up from 1.05 recorded from May 13 to 19.
The Department of Health, however, said that this "slight rise" in cases is not yet a cause for concern, as virus transmission remains slow and hospitals can still manage the admissions.
The COVID-19 reproduction rate refers to the number of new infections which come from a single case.
Vaccinations against COVID-19 are underway, with more than 69.1 million people in the country inoculated. The state hopes to fully vaccinate 77 million eligible individuals before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office on June 30.
By end-June, around two million COVID-19 vaccine doses will expire if they are not used by then. DOH earlier submitted a demand forecast of 34 million doses to replace Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs which are expired or near expiry.
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The COVAX facility, backed by the World Health Organization and Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, is mulling over replacing expiring shots procured by the government and private companies.
The Philippines logged an additional 207 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing up the country's caseload to 3.69 million, according to DOH estimates. Over 2,400 of these cases remain active, while more than 60,400 deaths have been recorded.
'Ready to treat monkeypox'
PHAPi's De Grano said Saturday that their member hospitals are prepared to treat monkeypox, should the country detect any case of the disease which has been spreading in other parts of the world.
"What we will do is, we will isolate [the case]...in isolation wards. Of course, we will report the case to the DOH and we will then implement supportive treatment of this disease," he said in Filipino during the same Laging Handa briefing.
The treatment of monkeypox, which can be spread by infected individuals and animals or through contact with contaminated materials, will be mainly "supportive" for now, De Grano said, since there is no approved monkeypox vaccine which is readily accessible at the moment.
Citing WHO, DOH said there has already been a monkeypox jab which has been developed, but added that it is not yet widely available.
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Meanwhile, Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said they are ready to implement travel restrictions upon the advice of the government.
At present, DOH is intensifying screening at the borders and actively monitoring the situation in hopes of preventing monkeypox from entering the country.