[ad_1]
An expert from the OCTA research group said Tuesday that daily new cases of COVID-19 in the National Capital Region (NCR) may reach 5,000 by March 31, as it is possible that the projected reproduction number already has increased.
Dr. Guido David from OCTA Research said that the estimated reproduction number or Rt may have already increased to 1.8.
“Real cases are now exceeding projections. The number of reproduction in NCR is estimated to be around 1.8. This increase is increasing faster than we thought, ”he told GMA News.
“If Rt = 1.8, then we will have more than 4,000 cases by March 31 (it can even reach 5,000 per day) in NCR,” he added.
According to David, they are receiving reports that most of these cases were transmitted within families or households.
Some of the cases were reported in depressed communities as well as in offices.
On Sunday, the OCTA research group said that the reproduction rate for the period from February 28 to March 6 rose to 1.66 in Metro Manila.
“The last time the region saw this rate of increase was in July 2020,” the OCTA research group said at the time.
The group then identified four areas in NCR that are at high risk for COVID-19 based on attack rate: Pasay City, Makati City, Malabon, and Navotas.
‘Bell’
Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Interior and Local Government spokesman, Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, said the public became complacent with their safety.
Because of this, he said that the undersecretary in charge of the Interior and Local Government, Bernardo Florece Jr., ordered the local government units and the security forces to carry out a “repression” of the health protocols.
“Yesterday, OIC Florece issued a directive to our local government units and all of our police to intensify the application of minimum health standards,” he said.
“What OIC Florece said yesterday was an offensive. We will use repression. What we will do is that our police will enforce the various ordinances approved by the LGU ”, he added.
On Monday, Malaya said Florece had a meeting with the mayors of NCR, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Manila Metropolitan Development Authority.
Health and safety protocols
Several NCR hospitals have reported an upward trend in COVID-19 cases admitted in recent weeks. Among them are the Philippine Lung Center, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, the Philippine General Hospital, the Makati Hospital, and the Makati Medical Center.
Private hospitals said Monday that while they can still handle the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, the public should not let their guard down by observing health protocols, as even children are now falling ill with the virus.
The president of the Philippine Private Hospital Association (PHAPi), Dr. José Rene De Grano, said that the blame for the 10-15% increase in COVID-19 occupancy rates in private hospitals cannot simply be the presence of the most infectious variants from the UK and South Africa. .
According to a Tugon ng Masa survey conducted by OCTA Research, there were fewer Filipinos observing social distancing than those wearing masks and face shields.
The results showed that only 67% of Filipinos are observing social distancing, which is lower compared to 91% who wear face masks and 82% who wear face shields.
“While most adult Filipinos meet minimum public health standards set by the Department of Health, fewer are able to observe social distancing,” the researchers said.
On Monday, the DOH reported 3,356 additional cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections in the country to 597,763.
Total recoveries were recorded at 545,912 after 61 recovered from the disease, while five new deaths bring the count to 12,521. A total of 39,330 were active cases.
The number of COVID-19 cases has increased at a faster rate lately, with more than 3,000 new infections reported daily in recent days.
Failures to adhere to security protocols contributed to the rise in COVID-19 cases, the DOH said Monday, amid claims that the rise in infections is being driven by variants of the coronavirus. —Joviland Rita / KG, GMA News
