FILE A group of shoppers troop to Baclaran to make last-minute shopping. Screenshot from Radyo Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 reproduction number in the National Capital Region (NCR) increased to 0.70 before Christmas, independent group OCTA Research reported Sunday.
OCTA Research fellow Guido David said that figure was recorded on December 22, in which the reproduction number — which refers to the number of people that each COVID-19 patient can infect — almost doubled from the 0.42 recorded the week prior, December 15.
“If we compare this with last year, the reproduction number also spiked before the holidays, followed by a dip during the holidays (probably due to many people going to the provinces for the holiday) and then an uptick by the first week of January 2021,” David said in a statement.
“The holiday uptick may explain the increasing reproduction number and positivity rate,” he added.
Moreover, David said that the reproduction number in the NCR based on testing has also increased to 0.79 which, he said, is a more accurate measure of the reproduction number since it is not affected by the backlogs.
“Whatever the case may be, we must continue to be vigilant and practice minimum public health standards as we enjoy the rest of the holidays,” David said.
“People with colds symptoms should be mindful of mingling with other people,” he added.
On Christmas Day, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 433 new COVID-19 cases in the country, with the positivity rate at 1.6 percent.
Since the pandemic broke out, there have been more than 2.8 million COVID-19 cases in the country, of which 9,376 are currently active.
The death toll stands at 51,187.