COVID reproductive rate up in 12 Metro Manila cities, says DOH

DOH Undersecretary and spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Twelve Metro Manila cities have reported a reproductive number of greater than one, which means a higher number of people can contract the virus from a single infected COVID-19 patient, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.

“Sa R-naught (R0)  or reproductive number, may nadagdag na apat [na cities], so labing dalawa lahat na may R-naut na greater than one,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III during an online DOH press conference, explaining the reproductive rate of COVID-19 infections in Metro Manila. The R0 measures the rate of contagion of disease in the community.

(There are 4 more cities with high R-naught which means 12 cities in Metro Manila have R-naut greater than one.)

Aside from the 12 cities, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they are still monitoring other cities in the National Capital Region as well because there was no progress in the decrease of COVID-19 cases.

“Although, not to say we are not monitoring the whole of Metro Manila because we are also seeing a case of plateauing in the other cities. Meaning, hindi na sila nagtuloy nang pagbaba and this is a warning signal for us to start focusing and have strict monitoring among cities of Metro Manila,” said Vergeire in the same online press conference.

DOH, however, has yet to specify the cities with a high reproduction rate of the severe respiratory disease caused by novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2.

As of Tuesday, DOH reported a total of 451,839 COVID-19 patients nationwide. Of the number, 418,867 patients recovered while 8,812 died.