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THREAD: Government officials hold 'Laging Handa' briefing on the coronavirus pandemic and other national issues | LIVE bit.ly/39KfDX7

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@bamba__g Isolation czar and DPWH Secretary Mark Villar: Mamaya po magbubukas na ang modular hospital sa Quezon institute. Isa po itong 110-room facility para sa critical cases of COVID. Upgraded version ng quarantine facilities

Isolation czar Villar: Naka-monitor po kami sa occupancy levels ng ating quarantine facilities. Sa ngayon po nationwide ay nasa 15%

Isolation czar Villar on occupancy levels of quarantine facilities: Ang NCR lang po talaga ang mataas— nasa 75%. Kaya sa NCR kami nakatutok at may plano na kami magtayo pa ng additional facilities

He adds: Ang target sana namin maging mas lower than 60%

Isolation czar Villar: May 23,000 capacity beds na ang nagawa ng DPWH. Ang target namin ay madagdagan pa ito ng 3,000-4,000 by next month more for NCR

Isolation czar Villar: Mabilis po ang paggawa ng facilities. Ang estimate namin sa ospital, aabot ng 45 days. May plano kami na dagdagan pa ang modular hospitals. By next month, madadagdagan pa ng 176 bed capacity ang mga ospital

Isolation czar Villar says local government may also request for additional facilities, especially those with high bed occupancy rates

Isolation czar Villar: Sa nakikita namin ngayon, hindi pa full capacity ang COVID facilities so kung may kailangang magpa-quarantine, pwede kayong tumawag sa local government o sa One Hospital Command

📞 People who need assistance in finding hospitals for those infected with COVID-19 may try to reach the One Hospital Command Center through the following numbers:

• [phone]
• [phone]
• [phone] 00

Isolation czar Villar: Ito muna ang ima-maximize namin— ang mga lote sa tabi ng mga ospital. Nakagawa na rin kami ng plano, kaya in the next few months tuloy-tuloy ang pagtayo ng modular facilities at tataas pa ang capacity ng hospitals

Dr. Cynthia Saloma, executive director of the Philippine Genome Center, says they already sequenced a total of 4,751 cases around the country, of which 4,050 have lineage

Dr. Saloma: Itong pag-surge ng cases is a combination of many factors… Nag-increase ang complacency, iyong ating belief na nandiyan na ang vaccine. Lumabas rin ang variants of concern which were found to be more transmissible

Dr. Saloma: Sa Pilipinas, naitala na natin dati pa na ang pinaka marami sa na-sequence natin are not really the variants of concern. Itong mga sinasabing Hong Kong at UAE variant, ito talaga ng marami sa ating bansa

Dr. Saloma says they can sequence 750 samples a week. She says it is impossible to sequence all samples and there is a limit in their technology. Sequencing also depends on the number of cases

Dr. Saloma: Iyong mga variants of concern… data about UK variant, its fatality rate is higher among older individuals and increased transmissibility. Wala pang datos in terms of comorbidity

Dr. Saloma: Sa South Africa variant, there is increased transmissibility, there is also a possibility na medyo bumaba ang efficacy ng ibang vaccines

Dr. Saloma on the variant discovered in PH: Sinisimulan pa lang ang pag-aaral diyan. Noong siniquence kasi natin ang mga taga-Central Visayas, ang symptoms nila were mild, some were asymptomatic so wala pa tayong masasabi

Dr. Saloma on the variant discovered in PH: Wala tayong sufficient evidence that it causes severe symptoms or increases fatality

DILG Spokesperson Usec. Jonathan Malaya says 90% of LGUs have already received budget for cash aid from the national government, distribution will start tomorrow, Wednesday, beginning with Parañaque and Caloocan

DILG warns politicians against using their names and images in the distribution of ₱22.9 billion financial assistance for those affected by the enhanced community quarantine bit.ly/3ujHeWS

DILG says list of beneficiaries must first be posted prior to the distribution of cash assistance.

Usec. Malaya: Kung sakaling makita niyo na may iregularidad, mayroon pong Grievance and Appeals Committee sa mga LGUs para sa mga apela

DILG: Hindi po naantala ang pamimigay ng ayuda. Tuloy-tuloy ang pamimigay ng food packs ng LGUs

DILG says regional LGUs are also preparing to start the distribution of cash aid

DILG Usec. Malaya on curfew violator who died after being forced to exercise as punishment: I wish to assure the public na kung may lalabas na paglabag ang kapulisan ay pananagutin po natin. Sasampahan po natin ng kasong administratibo at kriminal bit.ly/2PC12WQ