MANILA, Philippines — The growth rate of Metro Manila's seven-day moving average in COVID-19 cases is down to two percent, indicating that the capital region's coronavirus situation is either peaking or nearing the limits of its testing capacity, independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research said.
The term seven-day moving average refers to the average daily number of newly detected COVID-19 cases over a 7-day period. The growth rate of the seven-day average on Saturday went down to 2% from 3% the day before.
This comes after the 18,422 cases of the 39,004 cases on Saturday afternoon came from the National Capital Region, which OCTA said was "within the range of expectations."
"The NCR could be close to the peak in new cases, or the NCR has reached its limits in testing capacity," OCTA Research fellow Guido David said in a tweet Sunday morning.
"If new cases start to decrease in the NCR over the next week, then it is the first case. In the second case, we will see the number of cases continue to hover around the same level, until the downward trend happens."
NCR daily growth rate just 2%. The NCR could be close to the peak in new cases, or the NCR has reached its limits in testing capacity. @dzbb @dzrhnews @allangatus @News5PH @DZAR1026 @NewsRmn @dwiz882 @dzme_1530khz @EagleNews @ABSCBNNews @sofiatomacruz @PhilstarNews @haydeesampang pic.twitter.com/qkSPVvyf6e
— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) January 16, 2022
Earlier, OCTA said that the virus surge "could be slowing in Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan" but was careful to note that "there is uncertainty in the projections because of possible backlog and testing being overwhelmed."
To date, health authorities have recorded 3.17 million cases of the coronavirus in the Philippines, 265,509 of whom are still active cases.
Saturday afternoon's 39,004 new cases marked a new record for single-day additions in the Philippines.
It has been 670 days since the first enhanced community quarantine was hoisted in some areas in Luzon.