The country just logged 7,103 new COVID-19 cases today, which is the highest number recorded in a day since the start of the pandemic. In total, there are now 73,264 active cases, to push the overall confirmed cases to 648,066; the death toll meanwhile stands at 12,900.
And, as Senator Risa Hontiveros pointed out: We are still in the first wave. “We have NOT flattened the curve yet. And we never will if we remain in denial of the problem and what needs to be done to solve it,” she said.
Cue in a lot of other confused politicians who, despite knowing what the government (aka them) has “done” to try and prevent the surge, seem to be flabbergasted by the number, as if they didn’t just go through the same year we did.
“Please lang.” – Health Secretary Francisco Duque
Earlier today, when asked about the progress that’s been made, Duque appealed for people to think about the healthcare workers, as if his critics weren’t actually criticizing his own actions towards fighting the virus, but random healthcare workers on the frontline for some reason.
“Hindi naman siguro tama na sasabihin na ten steps backward. Please lang. Isipin naman ’yung malasakit nila sa healthcare workers natin na ang kabayanihan ay ’di mapantayan,” he said. “Ang daming mga buhay ang nasalba, kinalinga, pinagaling. Sana naman ’wag ganun kalupit ang kanilang mga opinyon. Kawawa naman tayong mga lingkod-bayan na talagang halos walang patid ang paninilbihan natin.”
Aside from this, Duque went around a barangay in Parañaque City to distribute face masks and remind people to keep safe (which, IDK, going around a barangay with your envoy and the press surrounding you doesn’t seem like the most COVID-safe activity out there). That leads me to ask: Why now? This should’ve already been happening a year ago at the onset of the pandemic, or at least when they started enforcing mandatory face shields.
Let’s not forget that, among other things, Duque was also the man behind the “botched Pfizer deal” that, had he given the necessary papers in time, would have secured the vaccine for Filipinos early.
Senator Tito Sotto is speechless
In a Viber message sent to reporters today, Sen. Sotto said, “What’s going on? What’s happening to our Country? Lahat ng galing ng executive department ay ngayon nila ilabas at gamitin. Hindi ko na alam ang sasabihin.”
Bonus:
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, on being asked to show his test results: “I don’t think it’s important”
Roque tested positive for the virus on Mar. 14, though he is reportedly asymptomatic. On Mar. 16, he refused to show his test results, saying, “Bakit naman gusto nila? I don’t understand that, but let me see if I have it. Hindi ko maintindihan why I have to show it actually,” adding, “Anyway, I don’t think it’s important.”
Just on Mar. 8, Roque said during a press briefing: “We were excellent. We controlled the spread of the disease, especially when compared to richer countries with more modern hospitals.”
Photo of Health Secretary Francisco Duque courtesy of Grig C. Montegrande via Inquirer.net
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