HIGHLIGHTED by the single-day record high of 26,303 cases reported on September 11, the Philippines last week established a new peak in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic by setting a seven-day average daily cases of 20,959.
In a televised public briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the September 6 to 12 “epidemic curve” surpassed the 10,431 cases recorded during the surge period of March 29 to April 4.
Vergeire said the September figures mirror those of the continued “high” risk classification of the country at 17.81 average daily attack rate per 100,000 population.
The health official also noted a positive two-week growth rate of 27 percent, mostly from the National Capital Region (NCR), Calabarzon, and Central Visayas.
“A total of 61 percent of new cases are coming from NCR, Calabarzon, and Region 3,” said Vergeire, adding that Metro Manila contributed 28 percent, Calabarzon at 22 percent, and Central Luzon at 11 percent among the new cases in September.
In all, Vergeire said 12 of the 17 regions are still at high-risk case classification from COVID-19.
They include NCR, Cordillera Administrative Region, Calabarzon, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Davao Region, Ilocos Region, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Western Visayas, Soccsksargen, and Zamboanga Peninsula.
Central Visayas registered a low-level classification in terms of its growth rate.
At the same time, Vergeire said the NCR’s average daily attack rate (ADAR) increased from 30.44 in the previous weeks to 39.09 per 100,000 population in the recent week, as she justified the Alert Level 4 raised over the region from September 16 to 30 during the pilot implementation of the COVID-19 Alert Level System,
“NCR is currently at high-risk case classification as it maintains a moderate risk two-week growth rate (TWGR) and high-risk average daily attack rate,” said Vergeire.
Additionally, she said NCR has a high-risk intensive care utilization rate at 77.5 percent, while bed utilization is near high-risk classification at 69.5 percent.
“Areas under Alert Level 4 show high and increasing case counts with total COVID-19 bed and intensive care beds at increasing utilization rates,” said Vergeire.
