Despite decreasing active COVID-19 cases, moderate, severe and critical cases have continued rising , the head of the Private Hospital Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) said on Tuesday.

This was emphasized by Jose Rene De Grano, PHAPI president, during the ''Laging Handa'' public briefing on Tuesday.

"The number of active cases is decreasing but the percentage of those that were confined due to moderate, severe and critical cases has increased. Before it was just five percent ( of total cases), but now it is almost 15 percent so it means the number of those that were hospitalized in private facilities did not change," he said.

De Grano said the situation '' is still controllable.''

''But it doesn't mean that the hospitals are decongested because as we see the percentage of those that are confined due to moderate, severe and critical, especially the moderate and severe (cases) has increased for almost 12 percent," he added.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), critical cases on Monday is 1.9 percent, 4.5 percent for severe and 8.42 percent for moderate. It was higher than the 1.2 percent critical cases, 2.7 percent of severe cases and 5.33 percent of moderate cases recorded last Oct. 7.

On October 1, critical cases were just 0.9 percent, 2.1 percent severe and 3.97 percent for moderate cases.

De Grano reiterated the warning by health care workers about the possible surge of cases in "the next coming weeks" if the public will not observe the minimum health standard as the alert level in Metro Manila was downgraded from four to three on October 16. Robina Asido/DMS