Octa: COVID-19 positivity rate in 6 areas tops WHO benchmark of 5%

COVID-19 test_positive. STOCK PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — An independent pandemic monitor on Friday marked six areas in the country that has registered COVID-19 positivity rate higher than the 5 percent benchmark of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Octa Research fellow Guido David said Metro Manila and the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Iloilo had breached the WHO positivity rate reference point as of June 22,

According to him, Metro Manila has posted a 5.6 percent positivity rate; Batangas, 8.3 percent; Cavite, 5.7 percent; Laguna, 7.1 percent; Rizal, 8.2 percent; and Iloilo, 5.6 percent.

Testing positivity rates in select regions. In NCR, the positivity rate increased from 3.9% (as of June 18) to 5.6% (as of June 22). @dzbb @DZAR1026 @dzrhnews @allangatus @NewsRmn @News5PH @dwiz882 @NET25TV @ali_sotto @ManilaTimesNEWS @MlaStandard @PhilstarNews @manilabulletin pic.twitter.com/koaEKHixCt

— Dr. Guido David (@iamguidodavid) June 24, 2022

But the Department of Health (DOH) said Thursday overall coronavirus positivity rate remained way below WHO’s 5 percent standard at 3.7 percent as of June 21.

Still, the DOH reminded the public that the positivity rate should not be the sole metric for assessing the country’s current COVID-19 situation, saying it is also called for to consider the general picture of coronavirus transmission and case severity.

KGA/abc