Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 11) – The country is expected to experience an increase in COVID-19 cases this week due to the holidays, the OCTA Research Team said on Monday.
OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said Metro Manila’s reproduction rate is at 1.13 as of January 9, which means more than one person can be infected by COVID-19. The region last recorded an above 1 reproduction number in August, when it was reverted to a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine.
David also mentioned Cebu Province, Davao del Sur, Isabela, Misamis Oriental, and Agusan del Sur as areas of concern due to an increase in COVID-19 infections during the past week.
Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, also an OCTA Research fellow, said their recent virus projections do not yet include the New Year and Feast of the Black Nazarene celebrations.
“What we are anticipating is the gradual increase of cases over the weeks to come. The Black Nazarene feast, it will still be at least one to two weeks for us to see if it was a super-spreader event,” Austriaco told CNN Philippines’ Rico Hizon.
The country on Monday added another 2,052 coronavirus infections to its total case count, which is now at almost 490,000. This marks the first time in over three weeks that single-day infections breached 2,000.
The OCTA researchers appealed to national leaders to strictly enforce minimum health and safety protocols among Filipinos to beat the rise in coronavirus cases.
“We have to change some measures. We have to be stricter in enforcing social distancing, curfew, and wearing of face mask measures,” David said.
“We have to be prevent that further increase so as not to overwhelm our health systems,” said Austriaco, who compared the country’s situation in July when it tallied 4,000 COVID-19 infections per day.
