(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — Daily COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila may hit as high as 43,000 by the end of September, the Department of Health said Thursday.

“Based on a set of assumptions, daily cases in NCR for September 30 may range from 16,000 to 43,000,” the DOH said in a statement.

The parameters included mobility, healthcare capacities, and the public’s adherence to minimum health protocols, the department added.

The DOH, however, explained that these figures “are used to guide the government” to better prepare for the pandemic response, especially with the threat of the highly contagious Delta variant — now present in all regions in the country.

Coronavirus infections nationwide soared to 2,020,484 Thursday after the DOH reported 16,621 new cases.