DOH flags regions with increasing COVID-19 growth rate

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in certain regions, according to the Department of Health. Is your area on its list? INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday identified regions in the country that have reported an increase in growth rate for COVID-19 cases.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media briefing that a positive coronavirus growth rate was observed in Caraga, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Ilocos Region, and Central Visayas.

Vergeire noted that for Ilocos Region and Central Visayas, for instance, the growth rate of COVID-19 cases was previously negative but is now positive, which shows an increase in infections.

Meanwhile, the average daily attack rate (ADAR) is highest in Cagayan Valley, with an ADAR of 8.8 per 100,000 population, followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region with 8.4 per 100,000 population.

ADAR is the average number of new cases per day over a two-week period, divided by the population of a concerned area. ADAR is considered high risk based on DOH guidelines if it is more than seven per 100,000 population.

The DOH earlier said that COVID-19 cases are increasing in areas outside the NCR Plus—the “bubble” covering Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan.

While COVID-19 cases increase mostly in parts of Visayas and Mindanao, the number of testing output in the two regions is also increasing, according to Vergeire.

“Nakikita natin ‘yung pagtaas ng testing outputs sa mga lugar na naaapektuhan ngayon ng pagtaas ng kaso, at dito sa NCR, nakikita natin ang kaunting pagbaba [ng testing],” she said.

(We see an increase in testing output in areas affected by the increase in cases. In NCR, we see a slight decrease in testing.)

Vergeire said Metro Manila was previously recording about 232,000 COVID-19 tests per week, but this has decreased to only around 189,000 tests per week.

Meanwhile, Visayas was previously conducting 46,000 tests per week, which now increased to 50,000 tests. On the other hand, Mindanao was conducting 29,000 tests per week, which has increased to 42,000 tests.

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