Dr. Guido David of OCTA Research. (SCREENSHOT PHOTO FROM INQSIDE LOOK INTERVIEW)
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s COVID-19 reproduction number has dropped to 0.52 and the seven-day average is down to 5,451, Dr. Guido David, a fellow at the independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research, said in a Twitter post on Saturday.
Previously, the reproduction rate in the country was at 0.68, with a seven-day average at 9,648, according to OCTA Research data released on Oct. 13.
Earlier on Saturday, David said the average number of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila was at 996, compared to 1,762 a week earlier.
The reproduction number of the new coronavirus in Metro Manila also decreased to 0.45.
READ: NCR’s average new COVID-19 cases drops below 1,000 — OCTA Research
An R0 (pronounced as “r-naught”) indicates how infectious a disease is.
For instance, an R0 of 1 means that each carrier transmits the virus to one person. If the R0 is less than 1, such as the current number nationwide, each existing infection would cause less than one new infection, which means that the spread of the virus is on the decline.
On Saturday, the Philippines recorded a total of 2,751,667 COVID-19 cases, including 63,051 active cases, 2,647,031 active cases, and 41,585 deaths, according to the Department of Health.
Reproduction number in the country now down to 0.52 and 7-day average down to 5451 https://t.co/cT06UNyRgB
— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) October 23, 2021