On May 20, Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Philippines is experiencing the “second wave” of COVID-19 transmission as cases breached the 13,000 mark today.
Duque noted that they consider the first three cases of COVID-19 in January–all foreigners from Wuhan who traveled to the Philippines–as the first wave.
“Actually nasa second wave tayo. ‘Yung first wave nag-umpisa, batay po sa ating mga batikang epidemiologist, na ang first wave natin happened sometime in January—noong nagkaroon po tayo ng tatlong kaso ng mga Chinese nationals from Wuhan,” he said.
The Health agency reported 13,221 COVID-19 cases in the country today, of which 9,447 are active cases and 279 are new cases. Recoveries number to 2,932 and deaths reached 842. New COVID-19 cases daily average in the last 10 days is at 243.
Testing backlogs were in the thousands and the government has only tested 0.19% of the population since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed on January 30. An independent COVID-19 tracker reported 452 died before they got their results–this would put deaths with posthumous results at 54% of the deaths reported.
The low testing outputs of the government has led many to belie and disbelieve Duque’s readings of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country in the past, such as when he said the country has a low infection rate.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan countered Duque’s statement with the government’s lack of mass testing.
“How can you say we have flattened the curve if we have not tested enough?” – Sen. Kiko to Sec. Duque pic.twitter.com/0rucYRnLEw
— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) May 20, 2020
Some doctors disagreed with Duque’s statement.
“We’ve never flattened anything yet,” says Dr. Benjamin Co, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, reacting to Health Secretary Francisco Duque’s statement that the Philippines is now experiencing a “second wave” of COVID-19 cases
— Christian Esguerra (@IanEsguerra) May 20, 2020
Now on SECOND WAVE and soon on THIRD WAVE?
Covid NTF Adviser @DrTonyLeachon disagrees with DOH Sec Duque. “When you say ‘second wave,’ it means you have flattened the first one. We’re still in the first wave.”https://t.co/fr6mvWqE8H
— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) May 20, 2020
Many netizens distrusted this statement of the Health top official and Duque became a trending topic on Twitter.
Other countries going into their second wave of COVID cases after flattening their curves
vs
Duque definition of second wave in the PH pic.twitter.com/RlKzcMen3c
— Austine #MassTestingNowPH (@austinedal1) May 20, 2020
Duque, please stop insulting the intelligence of Filipinos. First wave was last January? Second wave now? We are now bracing for the third? Can you even hear yourself say all these? Seriously? You know what we are sure of? Your incompetence and disastrous handling of this crisis.
— Ryan (@rryyyaaaannnn) May 20, 2020
Remember when Duque said that we are a "model country" in fighting COVID-19? Lol. And now, we have the highest mortality rate in South East Asia despite of the fact that we have one of the world's longest and strictest lockdown.
We need #MassTestingNowPH! pic.twitter.com/tnmeeBYvkh
— . (@maykamouse_) May 20, 2020
Duque: we’re now at the second wave.
First wave: pic.twitter.com/KbM8zUElhp
— kim (@kimalexandria_) May 20, 2020
here we go again with confusing and misleading comms from the gov't. First, officials split hairs on the semantics of mass testing. Now, Duque says we are actually in a 2nd wave. 1st wave daw yung first cases back in Jan/Feb, but without that context people will just be alarmed.
— Josh #MassTestingNowPH #NEVERAGAIN (@josh_danac) May 20, 2020
So. Did we flatten the curve? No. Anong second wave ka dyan, Duque? ??♂️ pic.twitter.com/XlNJCDVwwE
— rockPaperCEZAR #MassTestHindiMassArrest (@JotSerilo) May 20, 2020
