BY ARGYLL CYRUS B. GEDUCOS
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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.
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,” he said Friday.
“Nakakalungkot po ‘yan at nagbago pa sila ng forecast na mas maraming magkakasakit ng COVID,” he added.
The Unive r s i t y o f 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.
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,” he said.
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.
Despite this, Roque reiterated the government’s appeal to the public to cooperate and observe minimum publ ic health standards.
“Ang importante ngayon, mag-cooperate lang,” he said.
“Nasa ating mga kamay po ang ating kalusugan,” he added.
