MAKATI and eight other areas have been identified by the OCTA Research team as high risk areas for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which claimed 23 more lives yesterday.
The eight others are Baguio City, La Trinidad and Itogon in Benguet, Batangas City, Lucena and Lopez in Quezon, Davao City, and Pagadian in Zamboanga Del Sur.
“We are concerned that these LGUs may experience high hospital burden in the coming weeks that may stress their health care systems and overwhelm their medical front liners,” OCTA said.
Hospital occupancy was notably high in Davao City (84%), Baguio City (81%), Makati City (75%), Batangas City (70%), Lucena (80%), Pagadian (80%), and La Trinidad (77%).
On the other hand, the attack rate was found to be high in Itogon (39.4%), and Lopez (7%).
In all, the total number of fatalities has risen to 7,862 while 1,148 more new cases were reported by the Department of Health.
Overall, the total number of infections in the country now stands at 410,718 while the case fatality rate is 1.91 percent, according to the DOH.
The DOH said that of the 1,148 new cases, Cavite reported 88, Quezon City 52, Rizal 46, Baguio City 44, and Manila 44.
There were 186 new recoveries, meaning the number of survivors is now up to 374,543.
The DOH said this means that 91.2 percent of COVID patients have recovered.
There are 28,313 active cases, which account for 6.9 percent of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Of the active cases, 83.6 percent are mild cases, 8.2 percent are asymptomatic cases, 5.1 percent are critical cases, 2.9 percent are severe cases, and 0.22 percent are moderate cases.
The DOH also said there are now fewer areas with clusters of COVID-19 cases, adding there are currently 200 areas of clustering detected from November 1 to 14.
This is 7 percent (16 areas) lower compared to areas of clustering detected from October 1 to 14.
Clustering is defined as places where there are two or more COVID-19 cases at a specific time.
ACCESSIBLE TESTING NEEDED
With tens of thousands still in evacuation centers across the country, the OCTA Research Team called on government to consider making coronavirus disease testing more accessible to displaced individuals.
The OCTA team said established health and safety protocols should remain in place in evacuation centers to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“Given the reality that more typhoons are set to visit the country in the coming weeks, we suggest that LGUs seriously consider improving their current evacuation strategies and plans to prevent further viral transmissions during a disaster,” OCTA said.
Health officials had warned of a surge in COVID cases in evacuation centers due to overcrowding and lack of physical distancing.
In a previous interview, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said conducting COVID tests on all evacuees would be the ideal protocol. But she added that having evacuees checked for symptoms of COVID before they can be allowed to return home would suffice.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said evacuees will be subjected to antigen testing, with those testing positive for the virus to be isolated.
Roque said testing czar Vince Dizon had reported that they had started conducting COVID tests in evacuation centers using the antigen test kits. He did not say if the tests are free.
Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. had warned of a possible spike in COVID-19 cases due to the big number of families that had been evacuated and forced to stay in evacuation centers due to the typhoons. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
