OCTA says 3 cities still at ‘moderate’ classification
The National Capital Region (NCR) is now at “low risk” from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the group monitoring the pandemic in the country said yesterday even as it reported that three cities remain under “moderate” risk.
In its latest monitoring report, the OCTA Research said that “using our metrics,” Metro Manila has dropped to low risk classification for the period of October 19 to 25.
Classified as low risk were Navotas, Malabon, Caloocan, Pateros, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Manila, Quezon City, Taguig, Marikina, Makati, Pasay, Parañaque, and Pasig.
But OCTA said the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Valenzuela remain at moderate risk because of their high average daily attack rates (ADAR).
Valenzuela has an average rate of 11.15, San Juan with 10.57, and Mandaluyong with 10.50.
But on the whole, the OCTA said NCR’s seven-day average cases decreased by 36 percent.
For the period covering October 19 to 25, the region saw an average of 901 cases per day, from 1,405 daily cases during the previous week of October 12 to 18.
All NCR local government units also registered low risk reproduction rates, with Metro Manila posting a reproduction rate of 0.49, a drop from the previous week’s 0.52.
The region’s positivity rate also dropped to a moderate six percent, as per OCTA’s data, which was a dip from the previous eight percent.
The average daily attack rate in Metro Manila is also at moderate risk at 6.36 per 100,000 population.
As of October 20, the region’s ADAR was at 8.79 per 100,000 population.
On Monday, OCTA fellow Guido David said the NCR is not yet seeing an upward trend in COVID-19 cases despite seeing over 1,000 cases in the past three days.
“While new cases over the past few days were higher than 1,000, the trends are still in line with weekly patterns,” said David on Monday.
Meanwhile, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director-General Eric Domingo on Monday night said that while the country has dropped to low risk classification, four regions remain under moderate risk due to a slow decline of infections in their areas.
Domingo, during the Talk to the People address of President Duterte, presented the COVID-19 situation report of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III who is attending the Regional Council Meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Domingo said the four areas under moderate risk due to high average daily attack rates are the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 25.72, NCR with 17.64, Cagayan Valley with 8.26, and Zamboanga Peninsula with 7.79.
Mimaropa has been classified as low risk in terms of its average daily attack rate of 6.96.
Domingo said government also needs to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation in Mimaropa (Region IV-B), CARAGA, Bicol (Region V), Central Visayas (Region VII), and Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) because of a slow decline in COVID-19 cases. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
