Palace assures ‘effective strategy’ vs. COVID-19 as total cases breach UP initial forecast
Published July 17, 2020, 2:32 PM
Malacañang is saddened that the Philippines has surpassed the prediction of the University of the Philippines (UP) that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country would reach 60,000 by the end of the month.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday that the Philippines has now recorded a total of 61,266 COVID-19 cases.
Despite the quick rise of COVID-19 cases in the country, Roque said that the Philippines’ strategy in containing the disease has been effective because the situation would have been worse if the government did not do anything.
“Gumagana naman po dahil kung hindi tayo gumalaw milyon-milyon na po ang may COVID gaya ng prediksyon ng UP (The strategy is working because if we did not do anything, then millions of Filipinos would have already been infected by the disease),” he said.
In an interview with state-run PTV-4, Roque said it was saddening that the Philippines has already breached the prediction mid-July.
“Hindi pa tapos ang buwan, nagkatotoo na nga (The month’s not yet over and it already came true),” he said Friday.
“Nakakalungkot po ‘yan at nagbago pa sila ng forecast na mas maraming magkakasakit ng COVID (This is very saddening and now they’ve updated their prediction that more will get COVID-19),” he added.
The University of the Philippines has predicted this week that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country would reach 80,000 by the end of the month.
After initially allowing home quarantine, the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has shifted to placing mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases under facility quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Roque reiterated the government’s appeal to the public to cooperate and observe minimum public health standards.
“Ang importante ngayon, mag-cooperate lang (It’s important for everyone to cooperate),” he said.
“Nasa ating mga kamay po ang ating kalusugan (Our health is in our hands),” he added.