49,931 active COVID-19 cases reported

September 8 ------ The total number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country is now at 238,727 after the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported 1,383 new cases. Data from the DOH revealed that of the 238,727 cases, 49,931 are active cases. The Health department also reported 230 new recoveries bringing the total number of COVID-19 survivors to 184,906. While the total number of fatalities is at 3,890 with 15 new deaths.

In a virtual press briefing, the Health department also reported that there are already 1,742 areas with clustering of COVID-19 cases and majority are in communities. “Sa Pilipinas (in the Philippines) by communities its 84.9 percent. This is about 1,480,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said. She said 5.11 percent of this from hospitals or health facilities or 89 clusters while 1.84 percent are from jails and prisons or 32 clusters. The other 141 or 8.09 percent are found in various settings, such as in workplaces and transportation sectors. Meanwhile, although established indicators have already shown significant improvement, the DOH is being careful when it comes to making a declaration that the Philippines has successfully flattened the curve of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“With all of these factors, We cannot say yet (that we have flattened the curve). It is really not yet certain,” Vergeire said. “We try to avoid saying those words because we don’t want complacency among our population,” she added. But, the Health official said, there are indicators showing that the situation has somehow improved when it comes to reproduction rate, case doubling time, mortality doubling time, and critical care utilization rate. “We can say that our strategies are working. Although not immediate, there have been changes,” said Vergeire.

The University of the Philippines (UP) research group earlier said the COVID-19 curve in the country has actually been flattened citing the decreasing number of newly-reported cases in recent days. In the same press briefing, Vergeire also revealed that Pfizer will not be doing clinical trials on possible vaccine against COVID 19 in the country. “They won’t be doing clinical trials in the Philippines because they are well-advanced with their Phase 3 Clinical Trials and, accordingly, they said that by end of October it might be completed already,” she said.

Vergeire added that they are also in discussion with the pharmaceutical giant regarding the signing of a confidentiality disclosure agreement (CDA). She also explained that finding a COVID-19 vaccine is not an “easy and quick process.” “We have these negotiations while clinical trials usually last for 6 months. So we would like to temper the expectations,” said Vergeire. “We have these extensive negotiations in order to ensure that they are safe vaccines and it’s going to give our population (the) desired effect, which is to provide them the antibodies and that they can be protected from COVID-19,” she added.

Source: mb.com.ph