Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23) – Around 1,272 barangays registered the highest COVID-19 cases in the country, the Commission on Population and Development said on Sunday.
In a statement, POPCOM said these barangays recorded an average of 137 infections over an eight-month period from September 2020 to April 15, 2021.
The agency added that 63.4% of barangays nationwide reported COVID-19 infections, with 11.5% tallying deaths in the same period.
Some 15,252 communities remained free from COVID-19, the agency said.
Undersecretary for Population and Development Juan Antonio Perez III encouraged the Health Department and local government units to use their latest Demographic Vulnerability Tool (DVT) as basis for vaccination rollouts in the country, according to geographic priorities.
“The latest iteration of the DVT will be useful for local government units in determining barangays with high numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths for their pandemic-mitigation programs,” Perez said.
POPCOM classified the 1,272 barangays as “high-population density (HD),” with populations ranging from 201 to 999 individuals per hectare. Those with lower COVID-19 infections and populations below 200 persons per hectare are classified as “low-population density (LD)” and “medium-population density (MD)” communities.
Around 1,941 persons died due to COVID-19 in HD areas, while 3,348 others in LD places. There were 6,186 casualties recorded in MDs.
