DOH: Philippines now at low-risk classification for COVID-19
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is now under low-risk classification after health authorities recorded a decline in COVID-19 cases, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire announced on Monday.
“Nationally we are at low-risk case classification with a negative two-week growth rate at negative 48% and a moderate risk average daily attack rate of 5.89 cases for every 100,000 individuals,” Vergeire said in a virtual briefing.
She added that the national health system capacity is now at moderate risk classification.
“All of the regions now with a negative two-week growth rate and low- to moderate- risk case classifications,” Vegeire continued.
Vergeire said that the epidemic curve in the country showed that cases peaked from September 6 to 12, where 20,946 were reported daily on average.
“Current average daily cases have further decreased to reach our baseline average before cases started to rise back in July,” she said. For October 18 to 24, the DOH recorded average daily reported cases of 5,251.
Along with the decline of cases, the DOH also said it see a downtrend in deaths since the start of October. “Highest recorded deaths were in August with 5,189 deaths or 167 deaths per day,” she added.
However, the health official said that majority of localities in the Cordillera Administrative Region and the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa and Zamboanga Peninsula regions remain at moderate- to high-risk classification. Beds or ICU utilization rate or both are also still at high to critical risk.
Decline in Metro Manila
The National Capital Region meanwhile is at moderate-risk classification. She said that Metro Manila showed a negative two-week growth rate and high-risk average daily attack rate.
The average daily attack rate at NCR has also decreased to 8.56 per 100,000 individuals in the last week, she added.
The seven-day moving average in Metro Manila has also gone down compared to the previous seven days by 500 cases of 35%. For October 18 to 24, the average daily reported cases is 945, compared to the prior week with 1,445 average.
NCR bed utilization also declined to 36% utilization, putting it at low-risk classification. Currently, ICU utilization rate is at 26%.
Metro Manila returned to lockdown in August as the country grappled with a surge in cases due to the more transmissible Delta variant. In mid-September, the government placed the region to Alert Level 4 in a five-tiered system.
For October, the government further eased curbs in NCR as it transitioned to Alert Level 3.
Holiday season
But Vergeire continued to urge the public to continue adhering to minimum health protocols as the holiday season approaches.
“Measures to sustain the decline are needed as the holiday season approaches and mobility is expected to increase,” she said.
Vergeire also reminded the public to avoid closed spaces, crowded areas and close contact activities to prevent transmission.
Ramping up vaccination is also needed. Maintaining short detection-to-isolation time will also help in controlling transmission, she added.
Government data showed that as of October 24, we have so far administered 55,715,693 doses against COVID-19. Some 25.711 million Filipinos have completed their shots, while 30 million are waiting for their second jabs.
National caseload hit 2,756,923 on Sunday, with 5,279 additions logged on that day. Of these, 60,957 are tagged as active cases. — Kristine Joy Patag
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