CAUTIOUS RUSH The market crowds are back, like in Quiapo, Manila, on Saturday, as health officials keep reminding everyone about safety protocols lest the shopping glee later turn to holiday gloom due to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region (NCR) recorded a seven-day average of 79 new COVID-19 cases the past week, the lowest since March 2020, independent pandemic monitor OCTA Research said on Tuesday.
“The NCR had an average of 79 new COVID-19 cases per day from December 14 to 20,” the group’s report showed which was posted on fellow Dr. Guido David’s Twitter account.
The figure was lower than the seven-day average of 91 COVID-19 infections per day logged on December 6 to 12.
The reproduction number, however, slightly increased from 0.39 to 0.48.
The reproduction number is the average number of persons being infected by one positive case. Ideal reproduction number should be less than one to indicate lesser spread of the virus, health experts say.
Meanwhile, the average daily attack rate or the number of new daily cases per 100,000 stood at 0.55 from 0.64.
Of the average 18,127 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction tests the past seven days, the COVID-19 positivity rate further decreased to 0.6 percent from 0.9 percent, still within the World Health Organization’s prescribed test positivity rate of below five percent.
Metro Manila remained at very low risk for COVID-19.
Fifteen local government units in the capital region were also under very low risk for the coronavirus. These are Pateros, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Caloocan, Marikina, Pasay, Taguig, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Malabon, Parañaque, Valenzuela, Manila, and Makati.
Las Piñas and San Juan, meantime, are at low risk.
Octa Research obtained the data from the Department of Health DataDrop and indicators are based on covidactnow.org.
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