BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and ASHZEL HACHERO
SIX regions in the country have been placed under low-risk classification for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) even as the rest of the country remained at minimal risk, the Department of Health said yesterday.
Health Undersecretary Abdullah Dumama reported to President Duterte during Monday night’s Talk to the People (TTTP) forum that Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and the Bangsamaoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been classified under low risk because of their positive COVID growth rates for the past two weeks.
DOH records show that the two-week growth rate of Central Luzon was at 3 percent, Bicol at 9 percent, Eastern Visayas at 62 percent, Soccsksargen at 1 percent, Caraga at 83 percent, and BARMM at 145 percent.
The other regions of the country posted negative growth rates ranging from -3 to -38 percent, DOH data also showed.
Dumama’s report was confirmed by Dr. Alethea De Guzman of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, who assured the public that the slight uptick in cases is not a cause of concern because there are less than 1 per 100,000 population who get infected in the six areas daily.
De Guzman also said health care utilization in the country remains at low risk amid the slight increase in cases.
The DOH reported on Monday that the country logged 1,214 new COVID-19 cases from May 16 to 22, an increase of 9.9 percent from the previous week. The daily average cases were recorded at 173.
From May 9 to 15, the number of COVID-19 cases recorded was at 1,118.
The total number of cases from May 16 to 22 is an increase of 96 cases or 9.9 percent from the previous week.
“WEAK SURGE” IN NCR
OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said the COVID-19 reproduction rate in Metro Manila has increased but this may only lead to a “weak surge” in cases.
Reproduction rate refers to the number of persons a COVID-19 patient or positive individual can infect.
David said the reproduction rate in the NCR now stands at 1.05 percent.
“Overall, NCR remained at low-risk. Over the next few weeks, the best-case scenario is status quo, while the worst-case scenario, based on current data, is a weak surge in COVID-19 cases,” David said, adding that a “reproduction number above one does not necessarily mean cases will surge.”
Aside from the low reproduction rate, David also said the average daily attack rate in Metro Manila remained “very low” at 0.52 percent as of May 23.
The average daily attack rate tallies the number of infections per 100 persons.
Likewise, he said daily positivity rate was at 1.2 percent over an average of 11,319 COVID-19 tests per day, while hospital care utilization for COVID-19 was at 21 percent.
The last time the reproduction rate rose to more than one percent was in December 24 and July 15 last year when cases surged due to the Omicron and Delta variants.
OMICRON SUBVARIANTS
De Guzman yesterday said the DOH has identified three close contacts of the country’s first case of the Omicron subvariant BA.4, a male overseas Filipino worker who flew in from Qatar and had a travel history to South Africa. He arrived in the country on May 4.
De Guzman said the patient interacted with his three close contacts after he has completed his 14-day isolation.
She said the three are “asymptomatic and fully vaccinated” against COVID-19.
The BA.4 variant is considered by health authorities here and abroad as more transmissible than the original Omicron variant and has the ability of evading immune protection.
In a related development, De Guzman said the BA.2.12.1 cases in Puerto Princesa in Palawan have already finished their isolation.
The DOH earlier said there are a total of 17 cases of the BA.2.12.1 subvariant in the country– two in Metro Manila, 12 in Puerto Princesa, and three in Western Visayas.
“Sila ay mga nakatapos na ng isolation. ‘Yung mga close contacts, which are from that same group, have also been able to finish ‘yung kanilang quarantine,” De Guzman said.
Likewise, she added that there is no additional BA.2.12.1 cases so far.
De Guzman said despite the small number of the Omicron subvariant, the DOH is not belittling the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
FACE MASK VIOLATORS
While the country remains at minimal risk classification, De Guzman said the DOH is not relaxing as it reiterated its appeal for the people to continue observing health protocols, especially the wearing of face masks and observance of physical distancing.
“Hindi natin minamaliit pero hindi natin sinasabi na tayo ay mag-panic. Nakikita natin ang maliit na pagtaas ng cases since April pero hindi ito sustained (We are not minimizing this but there is no need to panic. Actually, we noticed A slight increase since April but it is not a sustained increase),” the official said.
As to the reason for the uptick in cases, De Guzman said this could be due to the increase in mobility of the public, people going into crowded areas, as well as non-compliance to other health protocols.
De Guzman said the presence of the Omicron subvariants in the country is another factor.
“Any increase cannot be attributed to just one factor. It is a combination of factors,” she said.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has noted a 26.76 percent increase in the number of persons caught for not wearing face masks in public places.
Año said some 40,335 persons were accosted for non-wearing of face mask from May 11 to 22 throughout the country.
Año also said they were 2,180 violations for non-observance of physical distancing during the same period, up by 13.9 percent from the previous period.
Año also said there was one violation for the conduct of mass gathering, up from the zero violations during the previous week.
Año reiterated the government’s appeal for the public to follow health protocols to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases. — With Victor Reyes
