Citing the huge decline in new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, President Duterte reckoned that there are “better days ahead” for the Philippines.

In his taped public address aired on Monday night, Duterte noted the continued “downward trend” in the country’s COVID-19 figures.

“Better days ahead because since Dec. 1, we have been on average of 500 to 600 and the number of active cases continues to go down,” he said.

As an example, the President cited the “very impressive” development in his hometown of Davao City which only recorded a single case last week.

He also pointed out the Philippines’s positivity rate is currently less than two percent or a maximum of two persons being infected for every 100 tested for COVID-19.

“Christmas na. I hope that everything will be for the good of everybody and I am very happy that bumababa na talaga, duma-dive na (It is really going down, it is nose-diving),” he said of the numbers.

“That’s a miracle because other countries are still reeling from the effect parang nagkaroon sila ng problema sa Omicron (they are having problems with Omicron),” Duterte added.

On Monday, the Philippines recorded 543 new cases, which is the eighth straight day that it tallied fewer than 700 new cases.

The country has a positivity rate of 1.7 percent, which is the second lowest since data became available in April 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends less than a five percent positivity rate.

However, the Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa, threatens to make its presences felt in the country.

While there is no record yet of the variant in the country, the Philippines has preemptively closed its borders to several African countries and restricted the entry of travelers from countries with Omicron cases.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Raymund Antonio

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