OCTA: Metro Manila positivity rate down to 14.3%
MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 positivity rate in Metro Manila slid back down two decimal points to 14.3%, which could indicate that the holiday wave of cases is starting to slow down ahead of the Christmas holidays, independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research said Friday.
The metric positivity rate measures the percentage of COVID-19 tests that come out positive.
The positivity rate, and other pandemic metrics including seven-day average and average daily attack rate, have been steadily climbing since mid-November when the holiday rush kicked in and positivity rate stood at 7.4%.
In a tweet advisory issued Friday morning, OCTA Research fellow Guido David said the previously recorded positivity rate was 13.5% on December 7 and then 14.5% four days later.
"This could be a sign that infections in the NCR may be decreasing already. Numbers next week will confirm if the trends will hold," David said.
OCTA Research, an independent research organization, has been monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic since it started more than two years ago.
The health department is encouraging the public to continuously observe the minimum public health standards under Alert Level 1.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that even though the optional masking policy is now in effect, the public especially the elderly, those with comorbidities, and immune compromised are highly encouraged to still wear face masks.
Vergeire in an earlier press briefing also urged calm over the ongoing uptick in cases, saying that the increase over the holidays was to be expected.
“We don't need to panic. We know that expectedly cases will be here [and] cases might increase. As long as our hospitals are okay, manageable… There is no rise in admissions, not a lot of severe and critical cases, we don’t need to panic,” Vergeire said in Filipino on Tuesday.
Health authorities have confirmed more than four million COVID-19 cases, with nearly 65,000 deaths, since the pandemic started in early 2020.
Since March 2021, more than 73.7 million individuals have completed vaccination against COVID-19. However, only 21 million people have gotten booster shots.
NCR 7-day positivity rate down to 14.3% as of Dec 14 2022 from 14.5% on Dec 11 (it was 13.5% on Dec 7). This could be a sign that infections in the NCR may be decreasing already. Numbers next week will confirm if the trends will hold. Stay safe everyone #COVID19 #COVID @dzbb pic.twitter.com/RDzap2w7jI
— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) December 16, 2022
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