OCTA: CDO still an area of concern

MANILA, Philippines — Cagayan de Oro remains an area of concern in Mindanao even though the number of COVID-19 cases declined in the past week, according to the OCTA Research Group.

The group said the city recorded an average of 182 daily new cases from Aug. 18 to 24, down 14 percent from 211 in the preceding week.

The reproduction number or individuals a person can infect dropped from 1.38 to 1.15.

However, critical hospitalization and intensive care unit utilization rates remain high at 90 percent and 87 percent, respectively.

OCTA said Iligan City as well as Malaybalay and Valencia in Bukidnon are the other areas of concern in Mindanao.

In the past week, Malaybalay logged 56 cases (up 41 percent from 40), Iligan recorded 53 (up 80 percent from 29) and Valencia 53 (up 53 percent from 38).

Malaybalay and Valencia had a critical attack rate of 25 daily new cases per 100,000 people.

Hospital and intensive care utilization rates in Iligan were above 70 percent.

In Aklan, Gov. Florencio Miraflores said the number of cases dropped to 1,000 yesterday from 2,000 from July to the first week of this month.

He said utilization rate of hospitals in the province, which was at 83 percent last month, is now at 38 percent.

Aklan detected 21 cases of the highly infectious Delta variant, which was blamed for the surge in infections.

In Davao City, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio urged parents to take extra precautions, citing the increase in COVID cases among children.

From Aug. 14 to 21, the city recorded 146 cases among the 10 to 19 age group and 107 among those aged zero to nine.

Carpio said pediatric isolation facilities have been set up, adding that adult isolation facilities would be converted for use of infected children if the need arises.