Calabarzon now low risk for COVID-19 – OCTA

MANILA, Philippines — The COVID situation in Calabarzon continued to improve in the past week, with the positivity rate dropping to 10 percent and below in the five provinces in the region, the OCTA Research Group said yesterday.

OCTA fellow Guido David said the number of positive results out of the tests conducted have dropped to a low four percent in Quezon, moderate eight percent in Rizal and Laguna, nine percent in Cavite and 10 percent in Batangas.

David said Cavite, Laguna, Quezon and Rizal could now be considered low risk for COVID-19. He said Batangas, which remains at moderate risk, is expected to be classified as low risk in a few days.

All five provinces logged a decrease in average new cases, with their respective average daily attack rates below three new infections per 100,000 people.

Except Batangas, which has a low health care utilization rate of 36 percent, the four other provinces have very low hospital bed occupancy.

David said Quezon is ”very close” to being the first province in Calabarzon to be classified as very low risk.

OCTA uses risk classification metrics based on covidactnow.org, which is different from what is being used by the Department of Health.

Elsewhere in the country, David said Batanes, Catanduanes, Dinagat islands and Marinduque reported zero cases on Tuesday.