COVID positivity rate in Metro Manila down to 11.5%; 4 provinces see ‘significant’ rise

OCTAResearch / FILE

MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 positive rate fell to 11.5 percent in Metro Manila, but it rose significantly in four provinces.

Even while the rate of COVID-19 positive in Metro Manila has decreased, it is still well above the 5 percent level set by the World Health Organization.

Independent analytics group Octa Research said that the COVID-19 positivity rate in Metro Manila went down from 13.9 percent last December 17 to 11.5 percent on December 24.

On December 25, the National Capital Region registered 255 new COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, four provinces in Luzon observed a “significant increase” in their positivity rates.

“In Luzon, significant increase in positivity rate observed in Albay, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Pampanga,” Octa Research fellow Guido David posted on Twitter on Monday.

From 23.3 percent, Albay’s positivity rate rose to 35.4 percent. Ilocos Sur’s positivity rate jumped from 30.6 percent to 44.8 percent.

Kalinga’s positivity rate is at 41.7 percent from 26.2 percent. From 12.5 percent, Pampanga’s positivity rate is now 17 percent.

The following are the positivity rates of other Luzon provinces as of December 24:

• Bataan – 12.8%
• Batangas – 10.6 %
• Benguet – 8.2 %
• Bulacan – 9.2 %
• Cagayan – 14.3 %
• Camarines Sur – 27.3 %
• Cavite – 10.5 %
• Ilocos Norte – 8.8 %
• Isabela – 21.2 %
• La Union – 9.7 %
• Laguna – 19 %
• Mountain Province – 7.8 %
• Nueva Ecija – 34.8 %
• Pangasinan – 11.6 %
• Quezon – 15.4 %
• Rizal – 23.4 %
• Tarlac – 15 %
• Zambales – 11.7 %

JMS/abc