The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday (Aug. 11) said 41 areas nationwide have been placed under alert level 4, the highest COVID-19 alert level, due to their high health care utilization rates (HCURs).
The DOH explained that 11 cities in Metro Manila, 17 areas in various parts of Luzon, eight in the Visayas, and five areas in Mindanao are included in the alert level 4 listing.
DOH Undersecretary Vergeire said the alert level 4 areas’ HCURs are more than 70%.
“Sa kabuuan ng ating bansa, we have 41 areas na nasa alert level 4. Ibig sabihin, bagama’t ang kanilang case trends ay hindi pa ganoong kataas to reach that high risk, pero ang kanilang health care utilization ay nasa more than 70% na,” she said.
“Nandoon na sila sa level na kailangan na talaga nating gumawa ng mas appropriate na response,” she added.
DOH placed the following areas under alert level 4:
Metro Manila – Las Piñas, Malabon, Makati, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pateros, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, Valenzuela
CAR – Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet
Region 1 – Dagupan City, Ilocos Norte
Region 2 – Cagayan, Quirino
Region 3 – Angeles City, Pampanga, Tarlac
Region 4A – Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Lucena City, Quezon, Rizal
Region 5 – Naga City
Region 6 – Aklan, Iloilo, Iloilo City
Region 7 -Cebu, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Siquijor
Region 8 – Ormoc City
Region 10 – Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Camiguin
Region 12 – General Santos City, South Cotabato
In relation to this, the department divided the cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) into four quadrants to survey and monitor the situation of hospitals.
Quadrant 1 (Q1) consists of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela with a total intensive care unit (ICU) utilization rate of 40%. Q2 comprises the cities of Marikina, Pasig, Pateros, Quezon City, and Taguig with a total of 78% ICU occupancy.
Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, and San Juan are placed under Q3 with 61% ICU occupancy, while Q4 consists of Las Piñas, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa with a total of 75% ICU utilization rate.
The DOH said one of the reasons for the full capacity of hospitals are the mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients who have been admitted, when they can be transferred to a temporary treatment and monitoring facility instead.
“Nung pinakita ‘yung sa NCR, kung tayo ay magtutuloy dito sa two weeks na lockdown tapos magtutuloy tayo into MECQ [modified enhanced community quarantine], naipakita nila dito na ‘yung ating current capacity ay maghuhusto kung severe and critical lang ang ipapasok natin dito sa ating mga ospital,” Vergeire added.
According to the department’s projections that are based on the 60% transmissibility rate of the Delta variant, the number of active cases in NCR may reach more than 58,000 by the end of September, if the region’s quarantine classification is relaxed to MECQ.
“So based on these projections, kapag tayo ay nagkaroon ng pagluwag in the coming weeks, maaaring maging ganito. That is not cast in stone, these are projections, Maaari pa natin ‘yang mapigilan, marami pa tayong pwedeng gawin. Kailangan din nating tandaan, hindi lang lockdown ang sagot sa pagtaas ng kaso,” she said.
Report from Mark Fetalco/NGS- jlo
