Medialdea: We’re not yet on second wave of COVID-19 infections

May 21, 2020

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea contradicted on Wednesday Health Secretary Francisco Duque III that the country is already experiencing a second wave of coronavirus infections.

Medialdea told reporters during the roll out of the Balik-Probinsiya Bagong Pag-asa Program in Quezon City that it was not President Rodrigo Duterte's pronouncement that the country is on the second wave.

"You know, it's not the pronouncement of the President. When did the second wave came out? That we will have to see," he said when asked of Duterte's policy directive after Duque, in a Senate hearing on Wednesday, said that the Philippines is "actually on the second wave" of COVID-19 infections.

Medialdea added, "Because as far as I know, we're not yet on the second wave."

When asked why he believed that the country was not yet experiencing a second wave, Medialdea said the Filipinos have been praying hard.

He said the public should rather not expect a second wave as it would be more difficult.

Senator Christopher "Bong" Go who was with Medialdea during the interview agreed that the Filipinos would find more hardship if there would be a second wave of COVID-19 transmissions.

During the Senate hearing, Duque explained that the first wave of COVID-19 infections took place sometime in January when the first three coronavirus cases involving Chinese nationals in the country occurred. He said it was just a small wave.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Health said the Philippines has 13,221 COVID-19 cases, with 2,932 recoveries and 842 deaths. Celerina Monte/DMS