We’re doing everything to address COVID-19 — President Duterte
Addressing a pandemic-weary population, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has assured Filipinos Monday that his government is doing everything to uplift their condition and vowed to lift the present quarantine restrictions once the situation stabilizes.
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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the MalacaΓ±ang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in MalacaΓ±ang Park, Manila on May 3, 2021. KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
“Pag-usapan natin ‘yong ang nasa loob ng
Pilipino. One is the hunger. We are trying to do everything we can within the
limited resources of government and, of course, ‘yong the opening,” President
Duterte said in his weekly public address.
“But let me assure to the people that once
things begin to clear, we will lift the quarantine immediately without delay.
Sa mga kasamahan ko, maraming salamat sa pagkinig ninyo and I hope that you’d
continue to listen to government.”
It is important, he said, to listen to health
experts who provide valuable advice on how the country can navigate out of the
pandemic.
Also on Monday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III reported the decreasing percentage of people infected by coronavirus in the Philippines.
“Ang atin pong pangunahing mensahe ngayon
linggo: Una po, patuloy na bumababa ang mga naitatalang kaso sa buong bansa,
kabilang po rito ang National Capital Region,” said Duque.
Duque said the national growth rate is also
improving from 11 percent three to four weeks ago to negative 15 percent
recently. There’s also a drop in the average daily attack rate.
“Kung ikukumpara po natin ang lagay ng
average daily attack rate ng NCR noong nagkaroon po tayo ng pinakamataas na
bilang, makikita na malaki na ang ating in-improve mula sa 34 per 100,000
population ay bumaba po ito sa 25 cases per 100,000 population,” he told the
President.
As COVID-19 infections decrease, the
healthcare utilization rates (HCUR) also improve, Duque said.
This was the result of the declining number
of patients being admitted in the hospitals and the expanding capacities in
hospital ICU beds, the health chief explained.
As the variants of concern continue to spread
in 12 regions, Duque said there’s a need for the strict implementation of
prevention, detection, isolation, treatment and reintegration strategies.
“Kami ay muling nananawagan para sa mas
mahigpit na border control at pagsunod sa ating quarantine protocols upang
mapigilan natin ang pagkalat ng variants of concern na dala ng mga
international travelers, kabilang ang mga returning overseas Filipinos,” he
said.
As of Monday, May 3, the Department of Health
(DOH) has recorded 7,255 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country’s active
cases to 69,466 or 6.54 percent of the total cases.
There’s a total of 975,234 recoveries while
the fatality figure is at 17,525. PND
