'Red flag'
Occupancy rates of Manila hospitals, quarantine facilities, quickly rising –- Mayor Isko
Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said the rising occupancy rates of hospitals and quarantine facilities in the capital city are a "red flag" in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a live broadcast on Facebook on Sunday (March 14), Domagoso said out of 304 COVID-19 beds in the city's district hospitals, 124 or 41 percent are occupied.
Meanwhile, 393 out of 540 beds in Manila's isolation facilities, or around 73 percent, are also in use The Manila mayor noted that the figures are a "big jump" from the numbers that were reported on Friday (March 12).
During his Capital Report on Friday, he said 109 out of 300 COVID-19 beds, or about 36 percent, of the city's district hospitals were occupied while 349 out of 587 beds or 59 percent of the beds in the city's quarantine facilities are being used.
"'Yan po, red flag. Red flag 'yan, ako na po ang nagsasabi sa inyo (That is a red flag, I am telling you)," he said.
"Red flag, ibig sabihin, dapat nang mangamba (it means that we should be worried)." "We're trying to be honest with you with the situation. Huwag kayong mag-alala. Basta kami, gagawin namin ang dapat naming gawin (Don't worry. As for us, we will do what we have to do)," he added.
Domagoso said there is a "high possibility" that the presence of new COVID-19 variants in the country may have led to the sudden spike in the number of infections.
On March 13, the Department of Health said the country has 98 cases of P.3, a variant first reported in the Philippines; a case of the P.1 variant first reported in Brazil; 177 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant from the United Kingdom; and 90 cases of the B.1.351 or South Africa variant.
The local chief executive also said that the public may have become too complacent after the vaccine roll out in the country at the start of the month.
He reminded the public that health workers and other priority groups will first get the COVID-19 jabs before the general public. Until then, he appealed to the public to vigilantly continue practicing minimum health protocols like physical distancing and the wearing of face masks and face shields.
"Walang kakampante, walang magre-relax (No one should be complacent, no one should relax). Don't let your guard down," he said.
Data from the city government showed that as of March 14, Manila has at least 1,549 active cases out of 30,824 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of this number, 28,451 have recovered while 824 have died.