PROTECTING ILONGGOS In this photo taken in September last year, Ilonggos wait for their turn to be inoculated during the Iloilo City government’s vaccination rollout at Barangay Quintin Salas in Jaro district. —PHOTO COURTESY OF ILOILO CITY MAYOR’S OFFICE
MANILA, Philippines — Six highly-urbanized cities (HUCs) in the country are now under moderate risk status for COVID-19, according to OCTA Research.
Metrics on HUCs presented by OCTA Research fellow Guido in a Go Negosyo forum on Thursday showed that the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, and Zamboanga are now at moderate risk status for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the cities of Angeles and Lucena are at very low risk status, while the rest of the HUCs are at low risk level.
Metro Manila remains under low risk.
COVID-19 data of highly-urbanized cities as of February 23, 2022 (Table from OCTA Research)
OCTA Research uses the metrics of US nonprofit COVID Act Now in identifying risk levels, which are different from metrics of the Department of Health.
The group’s data also showed that all HUCs have recorded negative one-week growth rates of COVID-19 cases.
Only General Santos, Ormoc, and Puerto Princesa still have high-risk positivity rates based on OCTA’s data.
“The situation is definitely improving in the provinces as well. What we understand is that the alert level will be based in part on the level of vaccination, and that’s why of course in the provinces with low vaccine coverage, we encourage our kababayans (countrymen) to get themselves vaccinated,” David said in the forum.
After the sharp increase of COVID-19 cases in January, additional infections are now on a consistent decline, with just over 1,000 new cases in recent days. The country now has 55,449 active cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday.