Dino-doktor data? Stella Quimbo questions DOH stats on COVID-19 cases

By Billy Begas

House Deputy Minority leader and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo was able to read a text message indicating the number of new COVID-19 cases a day before it was announced by the Department of Health.

In a hearing of the House Committee on Health, Quimbo asked how the DOH is collating the data for COVID-19 cases.

“Nakakakita po ako ng text, na allegedly someone from DOH, saying that tomorrow, the report is going to be 7,999. Of course, I did not mind it, sabi ko it’s a very weird text,” said Quimbo.

She added: “So nagulat nalang po ako na the following day, indeed, the reported number of cases was 7,999.”

Quimbo could not remember the exact date the 7,999 new cases was reported but based on DOH data it was recorded on March 20.

“‘Yung dawala kong naisip, of course, is ‘yung pinaka bad faith interpretation is ine-engineer ba ‘yan? Or do you have some leeway in “carrying over” cases? Halimbawa, the total in two days is 10,000, oh down payment muna tayo ng 7,999 ngayon, ipagpabukas nalang natin ‘yung iba,” said Quimbo.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency has been very transparent with the numbers.

“We never did averaging. Whatever numbers would come out, that was what we reported since Day 1,” said Vergeire.

Vergeire admitted that the numbers were leaked from among those handling the numbers.

“Meron ho talagang nag-leak noong isang araw and we are trying to identify the source,” said Vergeire adding that measures were made to prevent similar incident from happening.

Vergeire explained that the data collated from the laboratories and hospitals today will be processed to remove duplication and validation and report it tomorrow.

“The process would be, we extract at 1 pm and then we clean the data from 1 to 7 pm. (Around) 7 pm ay top line numbers na po kami….. and then the next day inaayos na po nila yan…. Pagdating po ng ala-1 ng hapon sini-share na po sakin for final clearance and printing and the alas-4 inilalabas na po namin,” she said.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)