COVID-19 reproductive rate up in QC amid holidays
MANILA, Philippines — The reproductive rate (Ro) in Quezon City went up to 1.54, which means the number of average people expected to contract the virus has increased, the city government said Thursday.
In a statement, Dr. Rolly Cruz, head of the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU), said that QC’s Ro increased to 1.54 on December 20 from 1.50 recorded three days earlier.
Cruz said the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended an ideal number of 0.50 for Ro.
Meanwhile, the city’s positivity rate also increased to an average of eight percent from December 14 to 20. This went up from the six percent positivity rate recorded for the duration of December 7 to Dec. 13.
WHO, however, recommends a positivity rate below five percent. Positivity rate is the percentage of people who were infected with the virus out of those who underwent testing for the novel coronavirus, the causative agent of COVID-19.
Reports from the Department of Health also showed an increase of the average number of recorded cases in Quezon City to 120 cases per day during December 16 to 21, from an average of 90 cases from December 9 to Dec. 15.
With this, City Mayor Joy Belmonte reminded her constituents to follow health protocols, which would help prevent virus transmission during the holidays.
“Keep in mind that we are all responsible for our health and the health of others around us, particularly our family, friends and loved ones,” said Belmonte in the same statement.
“So we must act responsibly by obeying all health protocols so we can have a safe and happy Christmas celebration despite the pandemic,” she added.
Joseph Juico, head of the city task force on COVID-19, pointed out that the city’s contact tracing capability was boosted to 1:24 in preparation for the expected spike during the holidays.
Juico reiterated that while the city government is prepared for a spike in cases, “citizens should do their share by taking the necessary safety precautions, especially during the holidays.”
As of Dec. 24, Quezon City reported 27,621 total COVID-19 cases with 25,510 recoveries and 755 deaths. Zac Sarao, trainee
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