Manila Bulletin
Not true PH surpassed Indonesia in COVID cases -- Palace
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque refuted claims that the Philippines has become the COVID-19 hotspot in Southeast Asia after surpassing Indonesia in total cases.
Roque stated that the higher number of reported cases in the Philippines is due to more aggressive testing and tracing efforts.
He highlighted that the Philippines has tested 1.5% of its population, compared to Indonesia's 0.34%.
Roque suggested that Indonesia's lower reported case count might be due to less extensive testing, implying more undetected cases.
When pressed for a direct comparison of actual case numbers, Roque admitted he did not know how to answer but reiterated the difference in testing capacity.
He emphasized that the Philippines is aware of more positive cases because its testing rate is three times higher than Indonesia's.
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See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
The Philippines has become the COVID-19 hotspot in Southeast Asia, surpassing Indonesia in total confirmed cases.
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The Philippines has surpassed its Southeast Asian neighbors in COVID-19 testing capacity, having tested over 1.6 million individuals as of August 4.
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The Philippines now has 100 laboratories nationwide licensed to conduct independent testing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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Malacañang stated that the Philippines has managed the COVID-19 crisis well, asserting that no country has achieved a perfect response to the pandemic.
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Malacañang noted that the surge in COVID-19 cases is a global phenomenon, affecting about 70% of countries worldwide, not solely the Philippines.
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