DOH flags ‘upward trend’ in COVID-19 cases in Visayas, Mindanao
Dr. Lawrence Elliot Tirol, senior executive assistant of Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City, Bohol is the first Boholano vaccinated of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine on March 6, 2021. Leo Udtohan/Inquirer Visayas
MANILA, Philippines — COVID-19 cases in the NCR Plus and the rest of Luzon are going down, but Visayas and Mindanao are seeing an upward trend in the rate of infections, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.
Dr. Alethea De Guzman, officer-in-charge of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, said cases at the NCR Plus continue to go on a downward trend and are now lower than during the start of the enhanced community quarantine in March.
Specifically, Metro Manila and Central Luzon are showing a “marked decline,” as cases in Calabarzon and the rest of Luzon also decrease but at a slower rate.
On the flip site, Visayas and Mindanao are having an uptick in the number of infections.
“Ang Luzon, though nag-plateau, may bahagyang pagbaba na tayo ng dami ng kaso na nakikita. Ngayon, ito ang nakikita natin sa Visayas at Mindanao na ngayon ay pataas. Hindi siya napakabilis na pataas pero may pataas na tayo na nakikita,” she said in an online media forum.
(Cases in Luzon initially went on plateau, but we are now seeing a decrease in cases. Right now we are also seeing an increase in Visayas and Mindanao. It is not a significant increase, but we are already seeing a rise in infections.)
Nationwide, the average number of new COVID-19 cases from May 11 to 17 has gone down to 5,886, as compared to the 10,406 average cases during the peak of the surge from April 6 to 12.
In Metro Manila, the average daily reported cases from May 11 to 17 is 1,417, much lower than the 5,325 average cases during the peak of cases in the region from March 30 to April 5.
Meanwhile in other areas in the NCR Plus, the average daily cases from May 11 to 17 is 1,070, or around half of the 2,203 cases during the peak from April 6 to 12.
According to De Guzman, positive growth rate was observed in 10 regions with increasing average daily attack rate (ADAR). These regions are Zamboanga Peninsula, Western Visayas, Mimaropa, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Bicol Region, Davao Region, Eastern Visayas, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
ADAR is the average number of new cases per day over a two-week period, divided by the population of a concerned area. The higher the ADAR, the higher the risk for getting infected.
De Guzman noted the increase in cases are being observed in highly urbanized cities. She added that local government units in these areas have pointed at the need to intensify the compliance to public health protocols to prevent the spread of infection.
“These are areas na mas loose ang restrictions. As we loosen our restrictions, hindi dapat kalimutan ang pagmask, physical distancing,” she said of the regions posing a higher number of cases.
(These are areas with looser restrictions. As we loosen our restrictions, we should not forget wearing masks and observing physical distance.)
The country has a total of 54,235 active cases as of Monday, including additional 5,979 cases.
