OCTA sees slight uptrend in COVID-19 cases in NCR, increase in 3 cities

MANILA, Philippines – An independent research group reported “a slight upward trend” in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, one of the country’s coronavirus hot spots, even as the government prepares to lower the quarantine level. in the country at least restrictive modified. general community quarantine (MGCQ).

In a report released on Saturday, the OCTA research team said that “the overall trend in the Philippines and the NCR (national capital region) is flat. [that is], no significant movement up or down … “

Closer examination

However, the group said there was “a slight upward trend in new COVID-19 cases … [that] it is visible in the number of new cases reported by the DOH (Department of Health) “.

“Over the past seven days (Feb. 13-Feb. 19), the NCR averaged 430 new COVID-19 cases per day, 16 percent more than the prior week’s average of 370 new cases per day. day, “OCTA said in its report.

“Closer examination showed that some LGUs (local government units) had an increase in new COVID-19 cases. This increase may be due to the effects of the Chinese New Year or Valentine’s Day, “he added.

The report also noted that “Pasay City nearly doubled its daily reporting of new cases compared to the previous week, averaging 44 new COVID-19 cases per day.”

‘Sudden spikes’

“His two-week daily seizure rate increased to 7.58 per 100,000, which now places Pasay in the high-risk category under DOH guidelines,” the report noted.

In a statement Saturday, the Pasay city government said it had closed 33 villages for two weeks as of Friday.

OCTA noted this development in its report.

The city government also said it had closed a business, but did not name the establishment. Inspection officers must visit other establishments in the city.

The report also cited an increase in cases in other cities in the metropolis.

“Malabon and Navotas also had an increase in new COVID-19 cases, while Manila and Marikina had a slight increase,” the research group said.

OCTA said it could not rule out the possibility that a “variant of SARS-Cov-2 is involved in the sudden spikes.”

Convened as the Metro Manila Council on Wednesday, the mayors of the 17 local governments that make up the NCR voted to place the metropolis under MGCQ starting in March.

Localized response

A day before the vote, OCTA issued a warning against such a move, saying that Metro Manila cases could climb to 2,400 a day if restrictions are further relaxed.

The Undersecretary of Health, María Rosario Vergeire, said that after a year of strict lockdown, it was necessary to consider the economy, which was paralyzed by the lockdown in early 2020 and subsequent quarantine restrictions.

“There are also health consequences of a poor economy, so we are balancing that,” Vergeire said at the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.

“In case we get to a point where we switch to this lower level of community quarantine measures, the safeguard is that local governments have their own response where they can have better surveillance,” he said.

Relaxing restrictions does not necessarily have to result in a worsening of the COVID-19 situation, Vergeire said.

Control indicators

Local governments, he said, must have control indicators so that they can manage and control the number of cases in their areas.

Whatever the quarantine classification, local governments must have the capacity for a localized response and must act quickly to address an increase in cases, Vergeire said.

“We are asking local governments to step up so that we can be sure that even if we relax restrictions in other sectors, we can still reduce cases,” he said.

Should the number of cases and the rate of health care utilization rise, health officials will ask the Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to recommend a higher level of community quarantine classification, said the undersecretary of health.

“We really need to monitor [the situation] correctly, ”Vergeire said.

Deaths at 12K

The latest DOH data showed that deaths from COVID-19 in the country had passed the 12,000 mark.

With 239 new deaths reported on Saturday, the death toll reached 12,068. The DOH said 167 of the new deaths were previously tagged as recoveries and reclassified after final validation.

2,240 additional infections were recorded, bringing the total case count to 559,288.

Saturday’s count is the second time in seven days that new cases have surpassed 2,000 in a single day.

Another 504 patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 513,120.

There were 34,100 active cases, of which the majority, or 86.7 percent, were mild, 8.2 percent asymptomatic, 2.3 percent critical, 2.2 percent severe, and 0.68 moderate percent.

For more news on the new coronavirus, click here.

What you need to know about the coronavirus.

For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare leaders and still accepts cash donations to be deposited into the Banco de Oro (BDO) checking account # 007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this Link .

Read next