Metro Manila shows uptick in COVID-19 cases

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila showed an “uptick” of new COVID-19 cases in the previous week even as it remains under low risk for case trend under government metrics, OCTA Research said Friday.

According to the independent research group, Metro Manila had an average of 686 new COVID-19 cases per day from June 25 to July 1.

“This was 5% higher than the previous week’s daily average of 654. The reproduction number in the NCR was Rt = 0.82 over the same period, from 0.72 in the previous week,” OCTA said in its monitoring report.

The country’s reproduction number, or the number of cases estimated to stem from one positive case, was 0.97 in the recent week.

Meanwhile, the incidence rate in Metro Manila was 4.97 per day per 100,000 population. This figure was 5.2 in the entire country.

Guido David of the OCTA Research explained that the incidence rate is the previous average daily attack rate (ADAR). He said OCTA computes the incidence rate as the number of new cases per day per 100,000 population.

OCTA said the positivity rate in the capital region was 6 percent over the past week. For healthcare utilization, the region posted a 36 percent hospital bed occupancy, 44 percent ICU bed occupancy and 30 percent mechanical ventilator occupancy—all within safe levels.

Table from OCTA Research

In Metro Manila, Navotas, Pateros and Malabon had the fewest additional cases per day at 10 or less from June 25 to July 1. Navotas also had the lowest incidence rate at 2.25 per 100,000 population.

Quezon City had the highest new COVID-19 cases at 136 average infections during the same period.

The incidence rate was highest in Makati with 12, San Juan with 9.16, and Pateros with 8.82 per 100,000.

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