By NICOLE-ANNE C. LAGRIMAS, GMA News
Published January 12, 2021 10:52am
Updated January 12, 2021 7:38pm
The OCTA Research Team is warning the government about the possibility of a "significant surge" in COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region in the next few weeks following increased social gatherings during the holidays.
In their latest report, the researchers also said the likelihood that the new coronavirus variant from the United Kingdom may already be in the Philippines and "super spreader" events such as the Feast of the Black Nazarene may contribute to the possible surge.
They urged the government to increase testing, scale up contact tracing, boost the capacity of the healthcare system to prepare for potential outbreaks, expedite the procurement of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines and efficiently roll out an immunization program.