Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos expressed his gratefulness to the collaborative initiatives of the national government, through the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and local chief executives in Metro Manila, as the OCTA Research recently cited “downward trends” on the coronavirus disease on all local government units in the Metropolis.
Nine cities in Metro Manila have recorded negative growth rate for the period of one week, from April 9 to 15.
The MMDA official said the recent reproduction number of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) is a welcome development as the government aims to balance health and economic impacts of the deadly virus.
He added that through aggressive contact tracing, mass testing, isolation, and granular lockdown, improvement on the COVID-19 reproduction rate has been seen in the NCR, which is considered the epicenter of COVID-19.
“We have seen how helpful these measures that we’ve imposed are, as the trend continues to spiral down. I am confident that while we sustain these strategies as we are rolling out our immunization drive against the virus, we can further reduce the cases and deaths,” Abalos said.
“I am very thankful for the coordinated and unified efforts of our national government, through the IATF and the LGUs down to barangay level, to help prevent the spread of the virus across the region,” he added.
On the latest data released by OCTA Research on Friday, April 16, the reproduction rate is at 1.16 for April 9 to 15, down from the 1.61 growth rate last March 29 to April 4, when the enhanced community quarantine was first imposed.
Downward trends were recorded in the following cities: Manila, -8% growth rate; Makati, -1%; Taguig, -13%; Mandaluyong, -6%; Valenzuela, -3%; Pasay, -12%; Marikina, -15%; Muntinlupa, -17%; and; Navotas, -13%.
Areas under granular lockdowns, likewise, gets fewer as Abalos said that there only 24 areas in NCR, down from 132 last March 29.
Isolation facilities have been put up for COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to help ease hospital congestion in NCR.
The experts said the average number of new COVID-19 cases reported per day in NCR was 5,085 over the past week, with a one-week growth rate of -0.4 percent; while the positivity rate was 24 percent over the past week.
Abalos stressed he is hopeful that these downward trends would continue not just in NCR but in the entire country as well, constantly reminding the public to not let their guards down and still consistently observe basic health protocols.
“Negligence and complacency will bring us to nowhere in our fight against COVID-19. My appeal to everyone is to still wear your face masks and face shields, observe physical distancing, and regularly sanitize to decrease the transmission of the virus,” Abalos said.
OCTA Research is an independent and interdisciplinary research group composed of experts studying the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
