THE Department of Health yesterday said the positivity rate for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country is now at 16.7 percent, an increase from last week’s 14.2 percent.
The World Health Organization has set a threshold of five (5) percent for positivity rate.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said COVID-19 cases and positivity rates continue to increase across island groups.
Vergeire said the rise in positivity rate goes in accordance with the rise in average daily cases.
“We continue to see increasing cases at 3,541 cases per day in the recent week. This is higher by 24 percent compared to previous week,” said the health official, adding: “The seven-day moving average is also 2.5 times higher compared to what was seen less than a month ago with 1,524 cases per day.”
Despite this, Vergeire said the country remains to be at “low risk” case classification with an average daily attack rate (ADAR) of 2.9 cases per 100,000 population.
An exemption, however, is the National Capital Region (NCR) which is at “moderate risk” case classification with an average daily attack rate of 8.16 cases per 100,000 population.
The DOH report comes after independent research group OCTA said 19 areas in Luzon and 11 areas in the Visayas and Mindanao have recorded “high” to “very high” positivity rates during the past week.
OCTA fellow Guido David yesterday said the occupancy rate in Metro Manila hospitals has been steadily going up as COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the region.
David said that as of July 31, the healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) in Metro Manila has gone up to 36.5 percent, from 31.7 percent recorded on July 24.
Healthcare utilization rate refers to the number of intensive care units, isolation beds, and ventilators currently in use in an area’s health and medical facilities. Under the current pandemic situation, the HCUR is defined as the rate of persons who use designated COVID-19 beds or ICUs during a specific period of time, which is dependent on the number of actual beds allocated by hospitals.
But David said that while COVID admissions have gone up, the admission in intensive care units in the region slightly went down to 26.9 percent as of July 31, from the 27.3 percent recorded on July 24.
In Capiz, OCTA said a high ICU occupancy rate of 71.4 percent was recorded as of July 31.
On the other hand, David said OCTA data showed that healthcare use in the provinces of Bohol and Iloilo have remained at “moderate” risk classification, with Bohol having a 59.5 percent occupancy rate and Iloilo, 56.1 percent.
‘CENTAURUS’
The Department of Health said the COVID-19 Omicron subvariant BA. 2.75, more known as “Centaurus,” has reached the Philippines after two cases were detected in its last genome sequencing.
The Centaurus is seen as being more transmissible and has more immune evasion compared to other subvariants of the Omicron variant. However, it has yet to be known if it can cause more severe infections.
Vergeire said the two cases were from Western Visayas and have now been tagged as having recovered from COVID-19. One of the patients is partially vaccinated, while the other individual is unvaccinated.
As for other Omicron subvariants, Vergeire said 1,015 additional BA.5 cases, 26 additional BA.4 cases, and 18 additional BA.2.12.1 cases have been detected.
The additional 1,015 BA.5 cases were found in all regions, except Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao, and three returning overseas Filipinos. In total, 3,012 BA.5 cases have been detected in the country.
Records show that 527 individuals were fully vaccinated, 12 are partially vaccinated, 16 cases have not been vaccinated, while the vaccination status of the remaining 460 are still being verified.
The DOH said 883 individuals are now tagged as recovered, 84 are still undergoing isolation, while the outcome of the remaining 48 are still being verified.
The 26 additional BA.4 cases are comprised of six individuals from Metro Manila, four from Cagayan Valley, three from Western Visayas, two each from Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Calabarzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region, and one from Ilocos Region. In sum, there are already 97 BA.4 cases detected in the country.
Of the number, 17 individuals are fully vaccinated, two unvaccinated, while the vaccination status of the remaining seven individuals are still being verified.
The DOH said 21 individuals have recovered, two cases are still undergoing isolation, while the outcome of the remaining three are still being verified
Among the additional 18 BA.2.12.1 cases, five individuals were from Metro Manila, three each from Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region, two each from Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Calabarzon, and one from Cagayan Valley. The total
BA.2.12.1 cases in the country is now 172.
There are 11 individuals who are fully vaccinated, two have not been vaccinated, while the vaccination status of the remaining five are still being verified.
The DOH said 13 individuals are now tagged as recovered, four cases are still undergoing isolation, while the outcome of the remaining case is still being verified.
