DOH: NCR now at minimal risk

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region (NCR), the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, is now classified as a “minimal risk” area, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

“NCR is now a minimal risk case classification with a negative two-week growth rate while its average daily attack rate (is) .87 per 100,000 population,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing, noting that Metro Manila is now like the majority of the country’s regions.

In a report last Dec. 6, NCR was categorized as “low risk” for COVID-19 cases.

This means that the region’s growth rate for cases is less than or equal to zero while its average daily attack rate is less than one per 100,000 population and its health system capacity utilization is less than 50 percent.

According to Vergeire, 11 of the 17 localities in NCR are also at minimal risk. These are Quezon City, Makati, Parañaque, Manila, Valenzuela, Navotas, Marikina, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Caloocan and Pateros.

Six other localities in the region are classified as low risk: San Juan, Las Piñas, Taguig, Pasay, Mandaluyong and Pasig.

Vergeire underscored that Metro Manila is seeing a daily case average that is lower than those seen after the peaks in August 2020 and April 2021.

“The NCR’s recent case (average) is already six times lower than in July 2021, which was 628 cases per day, and almost three times lower than the January 2021 reported cases of 288 per day,” she said.