President Rodrigo Duterte assured the public that the country can beat the COVID-19 pandemic, a year after the government imposed its first lockdown and with continuing spike in new cases.
“Kaya natin ito. Itong COVID-19. Maliit na bagay lang ito. Madami tayong nadaanan. Huwag kayong matakot, hindi ko kayo iwanan,” Duterte said, allaying fears of Filipinos about the increasing cases of COVID-19.
Duterte also directed government agencies to bring COVID-19 vaccination to the slum areas, stressing that “mobile” vaccination would provide easy access to poor families.
The President suggested that all government agencies could contribute by deploying “traveling units” that will go to slum areas and provide immunization.
“We’re thinking of going mobile, kayo na ang pumunta or if you are near the barangay you just wait kasi ang order ko ngayon is for the team to give you the vaccine while traveling. Marami tayong sasakyan. We will use all government assets,” he said.
‘Sufficient healthcare capacity’
Meanwhile, amid the number of COVID-19 cases rising, the Palace assured that there is still sufficient healthcare capacity to manage patients who will get the severe form of the disease.
“Sa ngayon po talaga tinitingnan natin yung hindi lang tumataas na kaso, tinitingnan din po natin yung ating healthcare utilization,” said Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr.
He stressed that despite the increasing number of cases in the past days, the national healthcare capacity data show that as of March 14, 2021, there are still 55 percent available ICU beds, 62 percent available isolation beds, 71 percent available ward beds, and 74 percent available ventilators.
Roque said that compared to the same period last year, the government knows much about COVID-19 already and is now more prepared to deal with the pandemic.
“Unang-una mas alam na natin kung paano bigyan ng medical attention ang mga nagkakasakit ng seryoso. Alam na natin na ang nasal flow cannula ay nakakasalba ng buhay, at alam na natin kung ano yung mga gamot na nakakasalba ng buhay,” said Roque.
In terms of testing capacity, he said the Philippines now has 229 laboratories compared to just one laboratory that can do RT-PCR testing and analysis back in March 2020.
