Duterte assures PH can overcome rising COVID-19 cases

President Rodrigo Duterte assured the public that the Philippines can overcome the rising number of COVID-19 cases, urging them not to lose hope.

This assurance was made as the Philippines recorded a new daily high of 5,404 COVID-19 infections on Monday, March 15, 2021, marking the fifth highest ever since the pandemic began.

The surge in cases has led to the implementation of a curfew in Metro Manila from March 15 to March 31, and reports of hospitals nearing full capacity in their COVID-19 wards.

Despite the surge, the Department of Health (DOH) stated that the healthcare utilization rate in the country remains at 35 percent, considered low risk.

In terms of vaccination, the government expects the delivery of 1.4 million doses of Sinovac vaccine and 979,200 AstraZeneca vaccine this month.

President Duterte also expressed a desire to prioritize the vaccination of informal settlers through a vaccine caravan in urban poor communities.