COVID-19 slows down in NCR, eases pressure on hospitals

MANILA, Philippines—The pressure on hospitals in Metro Manila is easing as active COVID-19 cases decline, according to government data.

Five of 10 hospitals in Metro Manila that had been on critical status amid the spike in cases have already reached 100 percent bed occupancy, said reports the Department of Health (DOH) as of June 9.

These were:

• Calalang General Hospital
• F.Y. Manalo Medical Foundation
• Fatima University Medical Center, Corporation
• Metro North Medical Center and Hospital Inc.
• VRP Medical Center

INFOGRAPH BY ED LUSTAN

The number was lower than 15 hospitals tagged as critical and eight with fully used COVID-19 beds last June 2.

COVID unrelenting in assault on NCR hospitals as bed occupancy rises again

At least eight hospitals remained on the high-risk list, which was also fewer than nine facilities last week.

Seven hospitals were on the moderate risk list.

An additional 10 hospitals were added to the safe list bringing the total fo 130.

Recent data also showed that 155 facilities had submitted numbers and had been categorized based on occupancy of COVID-19 beds.

Also, at least 48.57 percent of 1,221 total intensive care unit (ICU) beds solely for COVID-19 in Metro Manila hospitals are already in use, according to the same DOH data.

INFOGRAPH BY ED LUSTAN

The DOH said 37.63 percent, or 1,805 out of 4,797 isolation beds, and 34.63 percent, or 1,250 of 3,610 ward beds, in NCR are occupied.

It said bed occupancy rate for the entire NCR went down to 37.9 percent from 40.8 percent last week. It is in the “safe zone” with 3,648 of total 9,628 beds in use.

DOH classifies occupancy levels for COVID-19 beds in health centers as critical, high risk, moderate and safe.

Critical hospitals are those with 85 percent bed occupancy rates. High-risk hospitals are those with 70 percent bed occupancy and those with 60 to 70 percent bed occupancy are considered to be at moderate risk.

Hospitals are considered in the safe level if bed occupancy is less than 60 percent.

INQUIRER.net analyzed the latest available data—June 9, 2021—based on DOH’s COVID-19 tracker.

This report seeks to show how hospital preparedness in Metro Manila should there be a deluge of coronavirus infections in the Philippine capital, which is still the epicenter of the health catastrophe.

But only hospitals in Metro Manila that have information on COVID-19 bed allocation were included.

Critical

The 10 hospitals identified as under critical level were in:

Quezon City: 6

Valenzuela: 2

Las Piñas: 1

Mandaluyong: 1

Those with full COVID-19 bed capacity were scattered around:

Quezon City: 2

Valenzuela: 2

Mandaluyong: 1

High risk

Quezon City: 3

Las Piñas: 2

Manila: 1

Marikina: 1

Moderate

Quezon City: 2

Pasig: 1

Las Piñas: 1

Muntinlupa: 1

Taguig: 1

Marikina: 1

Safe

Quezon City: 33

Manila: 25

Pasig: 14

Caloocan: 9

Parañaque: 9

Las Piñas: 4

Muntinlupa: 6

Taguig: 7

Marikina: 6

Taguig: 3

San Juan: 3

Pasay: 3

Mandaluyong: 2

Valenzuela: 3

Navotas: 1

Malabon: 2

Pateros: 1

Makati: 2

On June 10, the DOH reported 7,485 new cases of COVID-19, driving the nationwide count to 1,293,687 including 56,921 active cases, 1,214,454 recovered patients, and 22,312 deaths.

Philippines logs 7,485 new COVID-19 cases

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