The Philippines is experiencing a “second wave” of COVID-19 infection, said the country’s top health official.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told a Senate hearing on May 20 that the country is experiencing a “second wave” of infection based on studies done by epidemiologists.
He said the “first wave” happened in January when three Chinese nationals from Wuhan who were in the country tested positive of the new coronavirus disease.
Duque said the government is doing everything “to flatten the pandemic curve” and to increase the capacity of the country’s healthcare system.
The government has announced its plan to increase its capacity to test people for the virus by 30,000 a day.
Only about 208,000 people, or 0.19 percent of the total population, have been reported tested for the disease as of May 15 based on data released by the Health department.
Meanwhile, a parish church in Quezon City has offered its grounds as a venue for COVID-19 rapid testing.
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral in the Diocese of Cubao has tied up with the government to conduct a three-day rapid testing of at least 900 residents.
The Philippines has recorded 13,221 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 842 deaths and 2,932 people who recovered from the disease as of May 20.
