Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 3) — The OCTA research team reported no spike in new COVID-19 infections in Metro Manila after the celebration of the holiday season and the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
In its latest report, the researchers also said, “the trend in new COVID-19 cases in National Capital Region has leveled off,” with a reproduction number, or Ro, remaining steady at 1 over the past week.
Reproduction rate refers to the average number of people who can be infected by a person in a susceptible population.
During the same period, positivity rate in the region also remained at 4% with an average of 17,000 swab tests per day. Average number of new cases recorded daily also slightly declined to 379 from 382, based on government data.
Overall, the team said the situation in the capital is currently “manageable,” but a downward trend with a reproduction rate less than 1 has to be maintained for at least two weeks to consider relaxing restrictions in the following month.
For the whole month of February, Metro Manila will maintain a general community quarantine status, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced last week.
Meanwhile, OCTA said an increasing trend is being observed in other local government units, as Cebu City reported the highest number of daily cases with an average of 102, a 60% increase from the previous week.
Its two-week attack rate of 8.45 per 100,000 is also considered high based on the Health Department’s benchmark of 7, while positivity rate also increased to 8%.
Other areas that recorded significant rise in infections were Lapu Lapu, Iloilo City, Passi, Mandaue, Butuan, Dagupan, and Davao City, of which the latter four had rates of more than 10%.
Critical hospital bed occupancy of each LGUs were at the safe level, but Baguio City and Davao City were both close to the 70% critical level having reached 68% and 62%, respectively.
According to the DOH, total COVID-19 cases in the country have breached 530,000, with the addition of 1,266 new infections. Active cases are now at 31,455, the death toll at 10,942, and recoveries at 487,721.
