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Second COVID-19 wave or third? It’s just terminology, says ex-DOH chief
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año disputed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's claim that the Philippines is experiencing its second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Medialdea stated that the country is not yet in the second wave and that Duque's announcement was not a pronouncement from the President.
Malacañang insisted that the country is still on its first wave.
Senator Richard Gordon called Duque's announcement premature, suggesting the Philippines is still in the first wave and gaining momentum in its fight against COVID-19.
Duque based his assessment on expert epidemiologists' findings that the first wave occurred in January with three imported cases from Wuhan, China.
Gordon appealed for increased cooperation to conduct more tests, noting that only 0.2 percent of the population has been tested.
As of Wednesday, the Philippines has 13,221 COVID-19 cases, 842 deaths, and 2,932 recoveries.
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A public health expert stated that the Philippines' second wave of COVID-19 cases is actually its first major wave, surpassing 10,000 infections.
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Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque reiterated that the Philippines is still in the first wave of COVID-19, clarifying President Duterte's stance against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's earlier statement about a second wave.
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Health Secretary Francisco Duque III clarified that the Philippines is experiencing its "first major wave of sustained transmission" of COVID-19, not a "second wave" as previously stated.
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President Duterte advised Health Secretary Francisco Duque III not to be sensitive to criticism and to remain firm in his beliefs, even if unpopular.
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The Department of Health (DOH) has apologized for the confusion regarding the stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, clarifying that the country is still in its first wave of local community transmission.
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