634 new cases; PH bed capacity in ‘warning zone’

THE Philippines has added 634 new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases as the country enters the ‘warning zone’ for hospital bed capacity and the National Capital Region enters the ‘danger zone’.

With 634 new cases, the Department of Health (DoH) records 57,545 overall number of cases and 35,483 total number of active cases.

Of the new cases, 302 were fresh cases and 332 were late cases. Due to continued data verification, 95 cases were scrubbed from the tally.

There were 88 additional recoveries for a total of 20,459, and there were six additional fatalities for a total of 1,603 deaths.

In a televised press briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the current number of intensive care unit (ICU), ward and isolation beds dedicated for Covid-19 is 14,945 or 14 percent of the total bed capacity in the country, which is 107,508.

Earlier, the DoH mandated that hospitals should allocate at least 30 percent of bed capacity for coronavirus patients. However, according to Health department data, public hospitals only allotted 20 percent while private hospitals set aside even less at 9 percent.

Vergeire pointed out that if all hospitals complied with the 30 percent mandate, an additional 17,307 should be available for Covid response.

She cautioned that the current national occupancy rate of 49 percent pushes the country in the “warning zone,” which is the “trigger point” for preparing for a possible rise in positive cases.

“Sa kabuuan, nakikita po natin mula sa datos na nagkakaroon na po ng pagtaas ng pangangailangan sa mga Covid-19 beds…Datapwat below 50 percent ang national occupancy rate, hindi po nangangahulugan na dapat po tayong maging kampante (Overall, we see from the data that the demand for Covid-19 beds has increased…Even though the national occupancy rate is below 50 percent, that does not mean that we should become complacent),” she said.

Currently, the National Capital Region has a 67.9 percent utilization overall, consisting of 61 percent for ICU beds, 77.4 percent for ward beds and 73.7 percent for isolation beds.

“Ang DoH ay patuloy na nakikipagtulungan sa mga ospital upang makapaglaan po sila ng sapat na facilities kung saan magkakaroon po ng surge (The DoH continues to coordinate with hospitals in order to provide sufficient facilities wherever a surge occurs),” said Vergeire.

The DoH reported the nine hospitals that have reached maximum occupancy of the beds allotted for Covid-19 patients are the University of Sto. Tomas Hospital; Felix Y. Manalo Medical Foundation; Bataan General Hospital; Qualimed Health Network, Sta. Rosa; University of Perpetual Help ‒ Dr. Jose Tamayo Medical University Foundation; Tricity Medical Center; Westlake Medical Center; Antipolo City Medical Hospital; and Ortigas Hospital and Medical Center.