Philippines now 'high risk' for COVID-19 amid Delta threat
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is currently at “high risk” for COVID-19 as coronavirus infections continue to rise, the Department of Health said Monday.
Less than two weeks ago, the Philippines was at “moderate” risk classification.
In a briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the country recorded a positive two-week growth rate of 47%.
The average daily attack rate (ADAR) from July 26 to August 8 was 7.20 cases per 100,000 population. An area is considered high risk if its ADAR—or the number of new cases over a two-week period, divided by the population there—is 7 and above.
The average daily cases in the Philippines jumped to 8,695 per day from August 1 to 7. In the previous week, the average was 6,498.
“Nationally, our case classification is now at high risk,” Vergeire said.
Metro Manila, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Northern Mindanao fall under high risk category. These areas have moderate risk TWGR and high risk ADAR.
Central Luzon, Soccsksargen, Eastern Visayas and Bicol region have positive two-week growth rates. Meanwhile, Western Visayas has high risk ADAR.
The spike in cases could be attributed to the presence of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19. Of the 17 regions in the country, 13 already have reported local cases of the variant, which is now considered the “fastest and fittest” form of COVID-19.
Metro Manila
The health official also said that all 16 cities in Metro Manila and its lone municipality of Pateros have a positive two-week growth rate. The capital region recorded a two-week growth rate of 123%.
The Delta variant has been detected in all areas in Metro Manila.
It has an ADAR of 12.70 cases per 100,000 population. Metro Manila's healthcare utilization rate was 54.11% and its ICU occupancy rate was 59.04%.
Pateros, Malabon, Valenzuela, Marikina, Taguig, Quezon City, Makati, San Juan, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas are under heightened alert, Vergeire said. Areas under Alert Level 4 have moderate to critical risk classification and have healthcare utilization rates higher than 70%.
The capital region returned to lockdown Friday in an attempt to slow the spread of the Delta variant and ease pressure on hospitals.
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Local and global updates on COVID-19 cases, outbreaks and containment efforts due to the highly contagious Delta variant, first identified in India. (Main image: Lockdown in Sydney, Australia in June 2021 by AFP/Saeed Khan)
The Delta variant remains dominant and experts, governments and vaccine makers are urging people to take advantage of booster jabs where they are available.
Delta has proved able to evade vaccine defences against transmission better than the Alpha, Beta and Gamma COVID-19 variants.
But jabs have remained highly effective at preventing severe illness from Delta, lowering the risk of overwhelming hospital resources. — AFP
The DOH reports 520 new cases of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant, bringing the total in the Philippines to 5,331.
The new COVID-19 Delta subvariant has not yet been detected in the Philippines, the Department of Health says.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says health authorities are monitoring 46 sublineages of the Delta variant, but “the particular Delta sublineage has not yet been detected among the COVID-19 positive samples sequenced in the country.”
Experts, however, are looking into the potential impact of the Delta AY.4.2. sublineage on transmissibility.
The Department of Health reports 633 additional cases of the Delta variant.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says the additional infections account for 84.63% of the 748 samples tested on October 16.
The DOH reports 411 more cases of the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant in the country.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says the new Delta variant cases come from 747 samples collected from February to September.
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