NCR has highest local cases at 83: DOH
THE Department of Health (DOH) yesterday reported 116 additional Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases in the country, bringing the total number of cases of the more transmissible coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variant in the country to 331.
In a statement, the DOH said 95 are local cases, including one who is a Returning Overseas Filipino (ROF), while the remaining 20 cases are currently being verified if they are local or ROF cases.
A report submitted by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) showed that among the 95 local cases, 83 cases are from the National Capital Region (NCR), four in Central Visayas, three in Calabarzon, two in Davao Region, and one each in Zamboanga Peninsula, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos Region.
The DOH said all additional cases have been tagged as recovered.
Meanwhile, the health department amended the previous total number of Delta variant cases prior to the latest batch of genome sequencing from 216 to 215 after it verified that a sample of one case was sent twice to the PGC by two different laboratories.
“With this, the DOH is amending the previous total Delta variant cases from 216 to 215,” said the DOH.
Aside from the Delta variant, the DOH also said the PGC has detected more Alpha (UK variant) and Beta (South Africa) variant cases, as well as the variant first detected in the Philippines.
“We report the detection of 113 Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant cases, 122 Beta (B.1.351) variant cases, and 10 P.3 variant cases,” said the DOH.
Of the additional 113 Alpha variant cases detected, 104 were local cases, one ROF, and eight are currently being verified if they are a local or ROF case.
Based on the case line list, two cases have died and 111 cases have been tagged as recovered.
This brings the total Alpha variant cases to 1,968.
From the additional 122 Beta variant cases, the DOH said 104 were local cases, four ROFs, and 14 cases are currently being verified if they are local or ROF cases.
Based on the case line list, all cases have been tagged as recovered. The total Beta variant cases in the country are now at 2,268.
As for the 10 additional P.3 variant cases, nine were local cases and one was an ROF.
Based on the case line list, the DOH said all cases have been tagged as recovered. There are now a total of 276 P.3 variant cases in the country.
Meanwhile, the DOH yesterday also reported that amid the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the countr, four regions are now at “high risk” in terms of their intensive care unit (ICU) utilization rates.
The DOH said classified as high risk are Central Visayas, which has an ICU use rate of 70%; Ilocos Norte with 71%, Cagayan Valley with 72%, and Calabarzon 71%.
Five other regions are under “moderate risk” for ICU utilization, and these are Northern Mindanao (61%), Western Visayas (66%), Central Luzon (67%), Soccsksargen (66%), and Davao Region (65%).
The health department said that over-all, the ICU utilization rate is at “moderate risk” with 62 percent occupancy.
On the other hand, the DOH reported that three regions are currently at “moderate risk” for their healthcare utilization rate (HCUR). These are Ilocos Region (60%), Western Visayas (60%), and Calabarzon (63%).
As a whole, the Philippines’ HCUR is still at “low risk” with 52 percent occupancy.
Aside from actual hospital bed occupants, the One Hospital Command Center (OHCC) said it has been receiving more calls from people who are seeking assistance from their system.
In a virtual press briefing, OHCC Operations Manager Dr. Bernadett Velasco said: “We’ve been recording and monitoring the number of calls. Since the last week of July, we are seeing the numbers continuously rising.”
Back in June, Velasco said the average number of calls daily was only at around 100 to 120. It went up to an average of 300 calls daily in July. “For the last three days (of August), our average calls per day has been 600,” she said.
She said most of their calls are from the NCR, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon.
“We also receive quite a number of calls from overseas Filipinos requesting, asking how to request medical repatriation. So we also process them,” she added.
The OHCC was established to facilitate coordination between health facilities as well as to streamline the referral and transfer system of COVID-19 cases.
