New COVID-19 cases among health workers in the country recorded during the first 25 days this April have reached 1,412 — which is the highest monthly tally since October last year, according to data analyzed by the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group (IRG).
The Department of Health had logged 1,506 cases among healthcare workers in October 2020.
The ABS-CBN report said this month’s number of frontliner cases “is also higher than the combined total for January and February 2021, which had 821 and 419 cases, respectively.”
The total number of health workers infected with COVID-19 in the country was at 17,365 as of April 25, of whom, 195 are active cases. One death, reportedly involving a nurse, recorded last week brought the deaths among the group to 88.
Meanwhile, the National Capital Region (NCR) can ease to a general community quarantine (GCQ) once the COVID-19 daily average cases decline to less than 2,000 infections daily, OCTA Research Group said on Thursday.
“We’re hoping the cases will be reduced to less than 2,000. If the number of daily average cases in NCR goes below 2,000 it will still be a significant number, but I believe we can still manage it even under GCQ,” Professor Guido David told ANC’s Headstart.
Also Thursday, the COVID-19 bed capacity of St. Luke’s Medical Center remained at a “critical” level, according to hospital president and CEO Dr. Arturo dela Peña.
“As of now it’s still critical. It has gone down a little bit over the last two days. This is the effect of quarantine instituted three weeks ago. When you open gradually, it is expected for the number to increase also,” he said.
Dela Peña said two of its hospitals have increased virus bed capacity to more than 30 percent required by government.
President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the extension until May 14 of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in NCR Plus bubble composed of the NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.
OCTA forecasts the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila will decline to 2,800 in two weeks’ time, David said.
“If it’s less than 2,800, there are more people getting discharged from hospitals compared to admissions, then that would mean our hospitals would start to loosen up or has less strain on them,” David said.
“We’re optimistic though we haven’t seen the guidelines… maybe the decrease will be slower, we’re hoping the downward trend will continue,” David said.
The group recommends that dine-in services remain barred as outside dining is preferred, David said. OCTA also proposes that capacity of establishments be increased to up to 30 percent, he added.
“We still have to have social distancing in place. The easing of restrictions has to be done gradually,” David said.
