Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021

Situation summary (Highlights of the current report) Please see the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) daily Situation Update for further information.

1,364,239 1,284,643 23,749 6,102,625 Cases Recoveries Deaths Vaccinated

• Out of a total 1,364,2391 confirmed cases reported in the Philippines as of 21 June 2021, 51.8% are male, with the most affected age group 25-34 years (27.5%). • 38.2% of the total number of cases are from the National Capital (NCR), followed by (17.3%), Central (9%), (5.3%), (4.7%). • Out of the total 23,749 confirmed deaths, 57.9% are male, with the most affected age group 65-74 (28.2%) followed by the age group 60-64 years (13.5%) and the age group 80+ (13.2%). • 32.3% of the total number of deaths reported are from the NCR, followed by CALABARZON (12.8%), (12.9%), Central Visayas (8.9%), Western Visayas (5.5%). • Cases continue to increase especially outside NCR. Of the total 88,235 confirmed cases in the past two weeks, 10.3% of the cases are from NCR, while 89.7% of the cases are from outside. In the two weeks prior to that, 15% of the total 91,298 confirmed cases were from NCR, while 85% were from outside. • The number of laboratories performing tests for COVID-19 using RT-PCR or GenXpert increased to 224. On average, over 50,000 tests were conducted per day in the last two weeks with a daily average of the positivity rate at about 12.6%. • Bed occupancy nationwide is at 47.3%, NCR (37%), CALABARZON (52.9%), Central Luzon (42.8%), Central Visayas (36%), CAR (41.2%). • 6,102,625 individuals have received their 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine. While 95.1% of Priority Group A1 (frontline HCW) have received their first dose, only 24.1% of Priority Group 2 (senior citizens) have completed their first dose. • On 10 June, 2.28 million more COVID-19 vaccines were delivered to the Philippines by the COVAX Facility. • Variant of concern (VOC) Delta (B.1.617.2) has been detected in four additional overseas workers returning to the Philippines. This brings the total number of Delta cases detected in the Philippines to 17.

1 Data as of 21 June 2021 can be found in the following DOH’s BEAT COVID-19 report. 1

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021

Transmission stage assessment

The Philippines remains in Stage 2, localized community transmission with some geographic areas showing higher transmission intensity and indications of widespread community transmission. There is ongoing evidence of higher transmission in Region III, Region IV-A, and in the NCR which are at Stage 3, large scale community transmission.

Regional assessments Among the different of the country, an increase in the number of cases was observed in Region V, Region VI and Region IX. Region V has reached a mobility level comparable to that before the onset of the pandemic. In both Region VI and Region IX, mobility has been variable and erratic. Cities that are experiencing a further increase in cases are Naga City in Region V, City in Region VI and in Region IX. Health care utilization, especially ICU occupancy, has reached high to critical risk levels in these regions given the increase in hospital admissions.

In terms of the overall situation of the Philippines, there were 43,290 new cases (39 cases per 100,000 population) reported in week 24, lower than the previous week (46,020 new cases, 42 cases per 100,000 population). The 7- day positivity rate (number of individuals that tested positive/number of individuals tested) was 12.5% (38,210/304,622) for week 24, and 12.7% (44,117/346,656) in the previous week. There was an increase in the daily number (7-day average) of COVID-19 dedicated ICU beds occupied (2,029 beds this week compared to 1,991 beds last week). The use of COVID-19 dedicated mechanical ventilators (7-day average) was the same for weeks 23 and 24 (994 ventilators).

Footnote: Information on COVID-19 cases, testing aggregates and dedicated COVID-19 ICU beds and mechanical ventilators were extracted on 21 June 2021 from the DOH COVID-19 Case Tracker. 2021 population projection for PHL: 110,198,654.

2

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021

Updates from the last 14 days

Epidemiological updates As of 21 June 2021, a total of 1,364,239 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 23,749 deaths have been reported in the Philippines. The case fatality ratio is 1.7%.

Epi Update Tests Cases Deaths ICU Occupancy COVID-19 664,477 88,235 1,780 57.4% Tests past 14 days Cases past 14 days Deaths past 14 days

13,625,811 1,364,239 23,749 3,545 Cumulative unique Cumulative cases Cumulative deaths ICU beds for individuals tested COVID-19 cases

10.6% Cumul. Positivity rate

Health service 19,946 1,269 31,707 137,737 provision Healthcare worker cases Hospitals admitting Non-ICU beds for TTMF beds for COVID-19 as of 21 June (cumulative) COVID-19 patients COVID-19 patients COVID-19 cases 19,470 (as of 20 June) HCW cases as of 14 June (cumulative)

Strategic approach to COVID-19 Prevention, Detection and Control

Health Service Delivery • With the current surge of cases in the country, especially in regions of Visayas and , the World Health Organization in the Philippines (WHO) continues to provide technical assistance in monitoring the healthcare utilization and COVID-19 bed allocation as well as the adherence to the COVID-19 care pathway. • With limited health capacity in regions in Visayas and Mindanao, it is critical to ensure adherence to health care pathways leading to appropriate referral and back referral systems. To increase isolation capacity in response to the increasing number of cases, the WHO Country Office donated a 72-square- metre modular tent to City. • The WHO Country Office continues to support the One Hospital Command Center (OHCC) by strengthening its Information and Technology (IT) capacity and policy development in institutionalizing the OHCC as the National Patient Navigation and Referral System. The National Patient Navigation and Referral System will be the link between healthcare facilities and patients, helping them access health services early for better treatment outcomes. It will also provide better access to financial resources through the Malasakit Centers and Medical Assistance Programs of various institutions. This linkage will be a breakthrough in the implementation of universal health care.

3

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021 • Together with the Risk Communications and Community Engagement Team a feature story about the OHCC was developed, highlighting the center's central role in optimizing critical care utilization in hospitals and relevant settings. The story can be found here.

Laboratory and Testing • Over the past two weeks, the 224 laboratories using RT-PCR and GeneXpert platforms sustained a daily average of more than 50,000 tests. This nationwide testing yielded a daily average of 12.6% cumulative positivity rate. • Based on the latest whole-genome sequencing report from Philippine Genome Center (PGC), additional Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases were identified, bringing the total cases to 17. Additional Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), and Theta (P.3) variant cases were detected, bringing the total number of cases to 1085, 1267 and 163, respectively. • The Philippine Government recognizes that continuous biosurveillance activities ensure that the government has essential information to contain the spread of COVID-19. To sustain regular sequencing of samples of COVID-19 cases until the end of the year, DOH provided Php 180 million to PGC for the procurement of reagents for whole genome sequencing. The first shipment of reagents is expected to arrive at PGC this week. • The WHO Country Office works with the DOH Epidemiology Bureau regarding sampling design and analysis of data to develop appropriate policy and action.

Surveillance and Contact Tracing Surveillance • The WHO Country Office is coordinating with City and City to collect All-Cause Mortality data to assess overall trends in deaths. Due to the delay in reporting mortality data to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), subnational city-level data may be critical to provide a more accurate assessment of the impact of the pandemic. • Regional assessments using multisource data have been provided to Region XII and XIII () to highlight recent changes in mobility and the ensuing rise in the number of cases and health care utilization. It is planned to provide updates on the regional assessments for reference purposes and for subsequent meetings.

Contact Tracing • The WHO Country Office is working with the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) on a concept note on ‘Targeted Contact Tracing and Management for the Philippines’. The focus of the concept note is on cluster identification, link analysis and the targeted approach (workplace, 3Cs, use of digital tools and strengthened community engagement) of Contact Tracing Management (CTM) in high-burden areas. • Technical support was provided to the National Task Force against COVID-19 and Contact Tracing Czar Mayor Magalong on the occasion of the National Actional Plan Phase 4 Planning Workshop.

Risk Communication and Community Engagement • On 17 June 2021, WHO, UNICEF and the DOH held a brainstorming session on communication activities to increase uptake of vaccines among the A2 priority group (senior citizens) throughout the Philippines. In line with the engagement for the A2 group, the WHO Country Office also convened with DOH, the National Vaccination Operations Center (NVOC), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Security Council (NSC) to identify actions of the key government agencies in the A2 vaccine roll out.

4

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021 • The WHO Country Office expanded its collaboration with faith-based organizations by linking the DOH Health Promotion Bureau with Caritas to promote collaboration in the use of churches as registration and vaccination centers for A2 and A3 priority groups. • On 18 June 2021, the WHO Country Office met with MOH BARMM for RCCE updates and to introduce new WHO team members to Director General Dr. Amirel Usman.

COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to prevent severe disease and death, especially in older persons and those with underlying health conditions.

#VaccineWorks

Vaccines Vaccination Coverage • As of 19 June 2021, there are 315 reporting vaccination sites and a total of 8,222,759 doses of COVID- 19 vaccine administered as either the first or second dose. • As of 19 June, 6,102,625 have been vaccinated with their 1st dose of which 2,120,134 Filipinos have received their 2nd dose.

WHO Country Office Support • The WHO Country Office will expand its technical support for the COVID-19 vaccine roll out through WHO/CDC immunization consultants at the field level in various regions. These consultants will assist the respective Regional and Local Vaccine Operations Center (RVOC and LVOC) in increasing vaccination uptake among priority populations, particularly A2. • The WHO Country Office will support the implementation of the Vaccine Information Management system (VIMS) with hardware (tablets and keyboards) and software support specially for the Logistics Management Information System (LMIS).

5

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021

Percentage of Vaccination Coverage – First Dose and 2nd Completed Dose, per region for Masterlisted Eligible Population Priority A1 as of 19 June 2021.

Percentage of Vaccination Coverage – First Dose and 2nd Completed Dose, per region for Masterlisted Eligible Population Priority A1 as of 19 June 2021.

Operations Support Logistics • Due to the worsening situation in some regions, medical equipment, oxygen concentrators, BiPAP machines and pulse oximeters are being delivered to region V, VI, IX and BARMM. • To ensure vaccine storage in areas without access to emergency power, the WHO Country Office is working closely with DOH on contingency plans.

6

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021 • The initial assessment of access to oxygen conducted by the WHO Country Office shows that, depending on the COVID-19 situation, access to oxygen may become critical in some regions.

Partner Coordination • On 10 June 2021, the BARMM Health Cluster convened to a meeting chaired by Director General of MOH, Dr. Amirel Usman. Dr. Usman briefed cluster members on MOH BARMM activities to contain the further spread of the virus and discussed with cluster members the way forward in the COVID-19 response. • On 17 June 2021, the monthly Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) meeting took place. WHO Country Office Representative, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, briefed the team on the increasing trend of cases, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao, and in this context, stressed that it remains critical to emphasize the importance of complying with minimum public health standards.

Updates from UNICEF

Strategic Approach • On 10 June, 2.28 million more COVID-19 vaccines were delivered to the Philippines by the COVAX Facility. The COVAX Facility aims to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries regardless of their income. This initiative is co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) with UNICEF as a key delivery partner. News around the COVAX delivery was published on the official UNICEF Philippines Facebook page and has reached almost half a million users and generated close to 10,000 engagements. Updates can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/unicefphilippines/posts/10159975160490572 https://www.facebook.com/unicefphilippines/posts/10159975086050572

7

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021

Community Support • UNICEF supported the Health Talk series of the Department of Foreign Affairs through a webinar on “COVID-19 in the Workplace: Prevention and Control” which was held on 4 June 2021. The webinar had 270 unique views, reaching participants from all DFA home offices, 32 consular offices, and 60 foreign service posts across and the Pacific and the .

• On 8 June 2021, UNICEF officially turned over to the Department of Education (DepEd) 30 ALSware packages as part of UNICEF technical assistance to the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan to support the Alternative Learning System (ALS). An ALSware package is a set of resource materials curated specifically for ALS Junior High School learners and teachers. It includes modules, instructional 8

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021 tools and equipment, RCCE and supplementary learning materials, and hygiene materials to support Alternative Learning System Community Learning Centers (ALS CLC) operations. UNICEF also co- developed the ALSware Guidebook with SEAMEO INNOTECH and DepEd to guide and monitor the use of the package. The packages were deployed to 30 ALS CLCs in remote and disadvantaged communities around the country, reaching approximately 900 ALS learners. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/ALSware.

Bacyaran ALS CLC, - ALS teacher unbox ALSware item

Zamboanga del Norte - ALS teachers receives the delivery of the ALSwares

9

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021

Matuguiano ALS CLC, Samar - ALSware unboxed and assembled, ready for use by ALS teachers and learners

Manukan, - ALSware items unboxed and ready to be assembled by ALS teachers 10

Philippines Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report #79 21 June 2021 Data reported by the Department of Health on 21 June 2021

• The Early Child Care and Development (ECCD) Council and UNICEF have provided inputs towards consultant’s finalization of the Inception Report for the planning for the phased implementation of in- person early childhood education in CDCs in low-risk areas. Guided by the UNICEF, UNESCO, WB, UNFP, UNHCR Framework for Reopening Schools, this report includes a review of experiences in other Asian countries in re-opening their pre-schools/ kindergartens and other early learning and care programs. UNICEF has initiated discussions with the ECCD Council on the criteria for selecting CDCs for the pilot re-opening.

• UNICEF, together with ECCD Council, DSWD and DepEd, and CSO partner Save the Children, reviewed and finalized the contents of the Family ECCD Kit/ Learn-at-Home Kit to ensure continued learning especially during the pandemic. Composed of manipulative toys, art materials, a musical instrument, and an activity guide, among other things. The kit is intended to support parents and caregivers in helping their young children cope with stressful situations such as emergencies and continue their holistic learning and development. This will help young children develop new skills in talking and thinking, moving and doing, feeling and learning about themselves, and getting along with others.

11