The number of detected Covid-19 cases at the national level are projected to be on a continuous uptrend with an estimated 19,306 infections per day by Aug. 31, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

In a Viber message to reporters, the DOH said the projection is expected if Covid-19 vaccination and booster coverage and adherence to public health protocols do not improve.

“However, with the improvement of vaccination and booster rates and MPHS (Minimum Public Health Standards) compliance, case increase may be slower and more controlled at about 6,194 to 8,346 cases by the end of August,” the DOH said. “While we do consider Covid-19 case numbers in determining an area’s alert level, we would like to emphasize the larger focus we have on admission and hospital utilization rates”.

The agency assured the public that the country has the capability to reduce the vulnerable population and keep hospital utilization and fatalities to a minimum due to the advances in Covid-19 treatment and the availability of vaccines to combat severe and critical disease.

It also urged the public to continue wearing best-fitting face masks, observe physical distancing and get vaccinated and receive boosters to reduce the number of infections as much as possible.

On Monday, the DOH reported a 33 percent increase in daily cases for the week of July 18 to 24. From 2,091 per day from July 11 to 17, the cases reached 2,791 daily in the recent week.

About 14,640 new cases and one verified death were added to the Covid-19 numbers in the recent week.

To date, about 71,546,355 or 91.61 percent of the country’s target population (78,100,578) are fully vaccinated.

As of July 17, a total of 15,934,251 have received booster shots. (PNA)