Dumaguete area of most serious concern outside NCR – OCTA

MANILA, Philippines — The OCTA Research Group has identified Dumaguete City as an “area of most serious concern” outside the National Capital Region Plus after it posted a 129-percent growth rate in COVID-19 cases in one week.

In its latest report, the group said the city recorded an average of 95 new daily cases from June 7 to 13, more than double the average of 42 in the previous week.

The area’s average daily attack rate (ADAR) is 70 per 100,000, classified as “extremely high risk.”

The group also identified Iloilo City, Butuan, Tacloban and Polomolok, South Cotabato as areas of concern due to increasing cases, high hospital occupancy and high ADAR.

It named Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Legazpi City and Tagbilaran City, Bohol as “emerging hotspots” due to rapid one-week growth rates or very high ADAR.

OCTA said intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy is at critical level (about 85 percent) in Davao City, Iloilo City, General Santos City, Tuguegarao and Koronadal.

OCTA fellow Ranjit Rye said stricter quarantines are needed in the hotspots identified to slow down the surge in cases.

He said the national government should do more to support efforts to expand hospital capacity in hotspots in the Visayas and Mindanao.

In the NCR, Rye said the general community quarantine (GCQ) status must continue.

“Given the downward trends, further calibrated easing of restrictions for certain businesses can be considered, provided these establishments comply with health and safety protocols of the government,” he said.

“The consensus in OCTA is that stricter quarantines are needed in the hotspots identified to slow down the surge in cases. These quarantines should be augmented by expanded testing, tracing and isolation as well as stricter monitoring and enforcement MPHS (minimum public health standards),” Rye said.

“Further, the national government needs to accelerate implementation of the NCR Plus vaccination,” he said.  – Rainier Allan Ronda