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MANILA—Some doctors in private hospitals have called in sick as they are overworked from high number of COVID-19 patients, the Philippine College of Physicians said Tuesday.

"Talagang napapagod na po 'yung mga doktor natin... Napakadami ng kaso na nakikita namin. Punong-puno po 'yung ER, puno rin po 'yung ICU, puno din lahat ng wards," PCP president Dr. Maricar Limpin told Teleradyo.

(Our doctors really tired... We are seeing so many cases. Our ER, ICU and all of the wards are full.)

She stressed doctors were also catering to non-COVID-19 cases.

Limpin disclosed some doctors had contracted the coronavirus, which led to staffing shortage.

"Marami sa mga doktor ay talagang nalagay sa quarantine at marami ho ay nagkasakit ng COVID-19," she said.

(Many doctors had to undergo quarantine and many caught COVID-19.)

She said doctors were serving long hours at the hospitals due to soaring infections. This is aside from experiencing emotional burden for not being able to accept new patients, she added.

Limpin said they were weighing a proposal for another timeout, similar to what the medical community asked for last year.

"Hindi pa ba tayo magta-timeout? So, I hope sana ang ating Pangulo i-consider ang sitwasyon po naming mga health-care worker na talagang medyo sukdulan na ang aming nakikita," she said.

(Are we not going to have a timeout? So, I hope the President will consider our situation because it's already extreme.)

If the government cannot provide a timeout, Limpin called for a stricter curb on movement.

"At the very least, i-maintain ang MECQ pero 'yung medyo tunay na MECQ sana (maintain the MECQ but I hope a real MECQ)," she said.

• Whole NCR, except Manila, under COVID-19 Alert Level 4

The entire National Capital Region, except for the city of Manila, is under the highest alert level for coronavirus due to increase in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

According to the Department of Health, Alert Level 4 is raised if more than 70 percent of hospital bed capacity is occupied and the area is under moderate to critical risk for COVID-19.

From Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, Metro Manila has an average daily reported case of 4,974.

• Metro Manila goes down to GCQ from Wed, to pilot granular lockdown shift

Starting Sept. 8, Metro Manila will go down to general community quarantine, the country's second-loosest lockdown level, until the end of the month.