By Fernan Angeles
HOURS after taking the number one spot in the list of Southeast Asian countries with the highest number of coronavirus disease contamination, Philippines slid back to second after Indonesia logged in its latest figures reflecting the most recent cases of the highly-infectious COVID-19.
As of this posting, Indonesia has recorded 116,871 cases, less than a thousand cases higher than the 115,980 cases recorded in the Philippines.
However, testing czar Vince Dizon explained that the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines can be attributed to the aggressive testing and tracing efforts of the government.
Recognizing that the relaxed restrictions under the general community quarantine allowed more interactions among the public since June, Dizon said the government continued with its effort of testing more individuals to detect the virus.
“Malalaman lang natin ang extent o ang dami ng na-infect ng COVID-19 kung tayo may magte-test at magte-trace at ‘yun ang ginawa natin,” Dizon said during the launch of the COVID-19 Command Center.
“Habang tayo nagte-test, talagang mas marami tayong makikitang positibo pero mas importante ‘yun kasi kung hindi natin sila mahahanap at hindi natin sila mai-isolate eh lalong kakalat at dadami ang magkakasakit,” he added.
Dizon likewise described a report of a news outlet in Singapore which stated that the Philippines is likely to become the next COVID-19 hotspot in Southeast Asia, as speculative, while emphasizing on the government’s beefed up testing capacity.
“Tayo na yata ang pinakamataas sa Southeast Asia in terms of tests per day. Umaabot na tayo ngayon ng mahigit 30,000 per day. Ang Indonesia halos kalahati lang noon, ang Singapore wala pa sa kalahati. Halos doble na rin tayo ng testing ng South Korea,” Dizon said.
With a current average of 30,000 daily testing capacity, almost 1.7 million individuals have undergone COVID-19 tests across the country, added Dizon.
Earlier in the day, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque, said that countries across the globe have seen a spike in COVID-19 infections. “It’s not just happening in the Philippines. Let’s not have this wrong cue that, ‘Uy, the Philippines is having this many increase in cases.’ It’s happening in 70 percent of the planet right now,” Roque said.
Citing a report by the Nikkei Asian Review on August 2 that 126 countries and regions or about 70 percent of the globe recorded an increase in newly reported cases, Roque insisted that the Philippine government is in its right direction even as he claimed that the spike in local contamination could have been because the virus has mutated into a more infectious strain.
The Philippines logged a record-high 6,352 cases in just one day on Tuesday, followed by yesterday’s 3,462 cases, bringing the total to 115, 980 as of this posting. (Image by Milken Institute)