CORONAVIRUS disease (COVID-19) cases in the country last week averaged at 11,000 daily, the independent OCTA Research Team said yesterday, adding the number is expected to further increase in the coming days.
In its monitoring report dated August 15, OCTA said an average of 11,127 new COVID-19 cases per day were reported during the period of August 8 to 14, which is 29 percent higher than the 8,625 daily cases reported from August 1 to 7.
“It is very likely that new cases will continue to increase next week,” OCTA said.
The group said that from August 8 to 14, the reproduction number in the country jumped to 1.46, while the average daily attack rate (ADAR) reached 10.23 per 100,000 population.
Last Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) said all areas of the country have been showing increases in cases, and classified the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Calabarzon, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Western Visayas as being at “high risk” from COVID-19.
The OCTA said that in Metro Manila, the numbers went up by nearly 50 percent from just a week ago when it averaged 2,080 new COVID-19 cases.
For the period of August 8 to 14, the group said the region averaged 3,066 cases, which is 47 percent higher than the previous week. Its average daily attack rate is also at high risk at 21.95 per 100,000 population.
The intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy in Metro Manila is also now at 71 percent, which the group said is considered as “high risk.”
On the other hand, the OCTA said NCR has a 64 percent hospital bed occupancy rate, which is considered as “moderate risk”.
Outside the capital region, the OCTA said Tarlac province recorded a 139 percent increase in cases, the highest increase in just one week’s time. During the August 8 to 14 period, Tarlac reported 105 cases from 44 cases per day.
It also said that Ilocos Norte and Aklan are now at critical risk in terms of their average daily attack rate. Ilocos Norte recorded a 35.34 ADAR, while Aklan, 32.90.
For ICU bed utilization, five provinces are at critical risk, and these are Tarlac (100%), Cavite (91%), Cagayan (91%), Pampanga (88%), and Misamis Oriental (87%).
As for COVID-19 bed utilization, OCTA said two areas are already at critical risk, particularly Misamis Oriental (88%), and Cagayan (85%).
