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DOH: COVID-19 response 'improving' despite worst place ranking in Bloomberg report
The Department of Health (DOH) claims the country's COVID-19 response is improving despite a low ranking in Bloomberg's report, which identified the Philippines as the "worst place to be" during the pandemic.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire cited the significant increase in vaccination coverage, from about 3,000 daily inoculations in March to up to 1 million on some dates.
She also highlighted the expansion of testing capacity, noting that the number of COVID-19 testing laboratories has grown from just one to over 260 nationwide.
Vergeire mentioned that the Philippines now conducts an average of 70,000 to 80,000 COVID-19 tests daily.
She acknowledged that while the country may not match the capacities of other nations, all countries are currently facing difficulties and challenges.
Vergeire reiterated the government's shift from strict community quarantines to granular lockdowns to facilitate the safe reopening of the economy.
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The Philippines ranked lowest out of 121 countries in Nikkei Asia's COVID-19 Recovery Index for September, assessing infection management, vaccine rollouts, and social mobility.
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The Philippines ranked last out of 53 surveyed countries in Bloomberg's COVID-19 resilience report, falling from its previous 52nd position.
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The Philippines logged 9,055 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, October 5, the lowest daily infections recorded since August 10.
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The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that the number of daily COVID-19 cases in the Philippines is decreasing.
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The Department of Health (DOH) stated that Nikkei Asia's COVID-19 Recovery Index, which ranked the Philippines last among 121 countries, utilized data collected during the peak of COVID-19 cases in the country driven by the Delta variant.
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