MANILA — The Philippines could reach nearly 5,000 COVID hospital admissions by August due to waning immunity, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

Other factors include the entry of more transmissible subvariants, the country's current booster shot rate, and reduced compliance to health standards, said DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, citing projections by the Australian Tuberculosis Modelling Network Team.

"Magkakaroon po tayo ng pagtaas ng pagkakaospital pagdating ng August of this year, and this would be around 4,800 plus, which is mas mataas po ang hospitalization na projected na ito kaysa nung nagkaroon tayo noong delta variant," she told reporters.

(We will see an increase in hospitalization by August of this year, and this would be around 4,800 plus, which is higher than during the delta variant surge.)

"Ngunit these are projections, 'di po ito cast in stone… Ito po ay
ginagawa para maka-prepare tayo so we will be guided in our preparations and planning."

(But these are projections, these are not cast in stone... These are made so we would be guided in our preparations and planning.)

The DOH in May said hospitalizations in Metro Manila could increase upon the entry of new variants. The capital region has tallied a 48-percent rise in its COVID infections, which do not yet translate to hospital admissions, Vergeire said.

• Metro Manila may see higher hospital, ICU admissions if new variants enter: DOH
• Alert Level 2 in Metro Manila possible if COVID hospital admissions increase: DOH

The more transmissible omicron BA.2.12.1 and BA.5 subvariants have been detected in Metro Manila, the DOH said.

The increase in hospitalizations can be prevented by complying with minimum health standards such as wearing face masks, and getting vaccinated and boosted, according to Vergeire.

• DOH: 'Risky' to lift face mask mandate as COVID cases rise, immunity wanes

A total of 69.8 million persons have been fully vaccinated as of Monday, of whom 14.6 million have received an additional dose, Vergeire said.

The inoculated population included 2.4 million health workers (A1), 6.8 million elderly (A2), 9 million persons with comorbidities, 9.5 million teens, 3.1 million children, and the rest were members of the general population.

Of the vulnerable sectors comprised of A1, A2, and the immunocompromised, 580,000 have received a second booster shot, Vergeire said.

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