Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 28) — At least nine provinces in Luzon registered an increase in their COVID-19 positivity rates, along with Metro Manila, a member of the independent OCTA Research group said.
Of the 22 areas in Luzon covered by the data shared on Sunday by OCTA fellow Guido David, Ilocos Sur logged the sharpest rise in its positivity rate, reaching 32.9% on Nov. 26 from 21.7% the week before.
This means around 3 out of 10 people who took a coronavirus test turned out infected.
Benguet also saw its number grow from 24.7% to 27%, as well as Kalinga from 15.9% to 23.7%, the data showed.
The other provinces are La Union (from 20.7% to 22%), Cagayan (from 14.4% to 18.2%), Pangasinan (from 13.2% to 16.5%), Ilocos Norte (from 4.7% to 7.8%), Bulacan (from 5.6% to 7.6%), and Batangas (from 5.1% to 5.4%).
While Isabela had the highest rate among the provinces listed at 44.4%, this was a drop from the 49.4% recorded on Nov. 19. The numbers in Tarlac and in Nueva Ecija likewise declined, although remaining high at 36.5% and 32.9%, respectively.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila’s positivity rate further escalated to 11.1% on Nov. 26 from 7.5% on Nov. 19.
David earlier said the increase in the capital region is not yet a cause for alarm, although he warned that there could be a repeat of the spike in cases back in June if the upward trend isn’t reversed.
Last Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the detection in the country of the highly transmissible and immune-evasive Omicron BQ.1 sublineage.
Infectious diseases expert Dr. Rontgene Solante urged eligible individuals, especially the vulnerable population, to get their required booster shots, saying the new sublineage is seen to bring an uptick in infections.
“Although I don’t see the cases that we have had last January, around 25 (thousand) to 30,000, because I think…the population immunity has been higher compared to January, but the possibility of increase in cases, possibility of people going to the hospital because of severe infection, will always be there especially if cases are going up,” he told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Monday.
The DOH on Sunday confirmed 1,326 new COVID-19 cases nationwide, bringing the country’s total to 4,033,682.
Of this number, there were 18,482 active cases, over 3.95 million recoveries, and 64,594 deaths.
