COVID-19 cases are increasing across all age groups in the country, the Department of Health said Tuesday, as infections among those aged 9 and younger increased by 74 percent this August.
On Tuesday, the Philippines logged 10,035 new cases of the coronavirus disease, bringing the total to 1,765,675, as all laboratories were operational, and six laboratories were not able to submit their data on time, the department reported.
DOH spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the increase “has no big difference from the contribution of each age group to the total number of cases here in our country.”
Twenty to 59-year-olds still account for the biggest proportion of cases, she said.
"There are no large shifts in the proportion of all age groups because most of them remain the same as with the trends in the past months," Vergeire said.
To protect children two years old and older from COVID-19, kids can wear anti-virus masks outside their home, she said. Masks are not recommended for children aged below 2, those experiencing difficulty or have cognitive or respiratory impairments, and if there is a risk they could be choked or strangled, she added.
"The alternative is to have our children wear face shields if we will go out with them for medical reasons,” Vergeire said.
Experts have yet to recommend that children be inoculated against COVID-19 because this will affect the supply of jabs for other priority groups like the elderly, she said.
"Mortality and morbidity data across age groups do not support the urgency to prioritize vaccination of the pediatric population as of this time," said Vergeire.
She said children could be protected if adults in their household get vaccinated instead.
DOH said this month's uptick in COVID-19 cases was also "comparable" to last April's peak in coronavirus infections.
Average daily reported cases from Aug. 10 to 16 was at 12,824, which is about 45 percent higher than the average 8,930 cases per day reported from Aug. 3 to 9, said DOH spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
During the previous peak from March 29 to April 4, the country had logged an average of 10,431 cases daily, according to a slideshow that she presented.
Based on data in the last 14 days, the six non-reporting laboratories contribute, on average, 1.2 percent of samples tested and 1.4 percent of positive individuals.
The relatively low number of cases Tuesday was due to lower laboratory output last Sunday.
The DOH also reported 96 new fatalities, bringing the death toll to 30,462. Bello tests positive
Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III has tested positive for COVID-19, according to labor spokesperson Rolly Francia.
In a statement, Francia said that Bello was asymptomatic and remained on top of his health.
“Secretary Bello, who is fully vaccinated, is on self-quarantine at his hometown Ilagan (in Isabela) where the test was made on Saturday.
Even while in isolation, the Secretary continues to discharge his functions,” he said.
He said that prior to contracting the virus, the Secretary had been receiving officials and guests at his office and traveled to various parts of the country distributing assistance to displaced and disadvantaged formal and informal sector workers affected by the pandemic.
Safety protocols
The country is implementing strict health and safety protocols for all returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and its variants in the country.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who is National Task Force against COVID-19 chair, said this was now being done by the border sub-clusters.
Lorenzana said the Department of Transportation also was recording ROFs who had been vaccinated aside from monitoring those coming from the country's southern borders.
He added the Crisis Action Plan Against Covid Variants has been using the prevent, detect, isolate, treat, and reintegrate strategy and vaccination campaign to contain the pandemic.
Genome Center
The Philippine Genome Center has asked for patience, saying they are now working to build up its capacity to detect more COVID-19 variants. PGC Director for the Genomics Health Program Dr. Eva Maria Cutiongco-De la Paz said the institution is completing plans for genome sequencing in Visayas and Mindanao.
The PGC in the meantime trains its personnel on sequencing and analyzing coronavirus samples, while coordinating with the health department's epidemiology bureau, Cutiongco-De la Paz said.
The Department of Health on Sunday announced experts detected the Philippines' first case of the COVID-19 Lambda variant.
The case was local and not detected in a patient from abroad, said the DOH. Female patient
The 35-year-old female patient was pregnant when she tested positive for the coronavirus in July and has since recovered, said DOH spokesperson and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
The Lambda variant has mutations in its spike protein that may make it more contagious and has shown characteristics that may make it more difficult for antibodies to neutralize the virus, said PGC's Cutiongco-De la Paz.
The Philippines previously detected the Beta and Alpha variants, as well as the highly contagious Delta variant.
Metro Manila, home to some 13 million people, is under the toughest of 4 lockdown levels, enhanced community quarantine, until Aug. 20 to curb the spread of the Delta variant.
