Vergeire: COVID-19 cases can reach up to 75,000 in three months

Vergeire said that strict measures implemented by the government like the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon must be followed by everyone to help “flatten the curve”. (PNA File photo by Gil Calinga)

The Department of Health (DOH) estimates that the number of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines could reach up to 70,000 to 75,000 within three months.

In an interview with DZMM Teleradyo, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire recommended strict social distancing measures to be implemented to give the Philippines some time to be able to respond to the growing cases of COVID-19 in the country.

“We are trying to estimate when it’s going to peak, how much cases would there be when it peaks, so mayroon na ho, iba iba ho ang sinasabi na numero…The estimate is at 70,000, 75,000 in the next three months (We are trying to estimate when it’s going to peak, how much cases would there be when it peaks, some say different numbers, but the estimate is at 70,000, 75,000 in the next three months),” Vergeire said during the interview.

The Health Undersecretary explained that the number is just a modeling estimate and that they are trying to forecast how they will respond to the situation.

Vergeire said that strict measures implemented by the government like the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon must be followed by everyone to help “flatten the curve”.

“We can flatten ‘yang peak na ‘yan… Lalapad po siya, tatagal po pero mas bababa ang kaso at mas makakaresponde ang ating sistema (We can flatten the peak… it can be flattened, it might take long but the lower the cases, the better response our system can deliver),” Vergeire said.

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said that a person who has COVID-19 can potentially infect around 100 people if not detected and isolated immediately, citing a study from the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Kapag hindi tayo gumawa ng drastic actions, in five months we [could] have 75,000 positive cases (If we don’t take drastic actions, in five months, we could have 75,000 positive cases),” Año said in an interview with DZBB.

He also appealed to the public to follow the regulations of the authorities during the 30-day community quarantine and said that those who do not have important appointments should just remain in their homes.

President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the Philippines under a state of calamity following the rising number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines and is effective for six months.

As of writing, the Philippines has recorded a number of 187 cases of COVID-19 and 14 deaths due to the pandemic.