Data from the group’s latest report show that new daily reported cases nationwide went down to 2,500 from the 2,725 figures last September 6. The number of daily reported cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) has also gone down lower than 1,000.
Both reproduction numbers of the country and NCR settled below 1, with the nationwide number at 0.87 and NCR with 0.82.
However, Benguet (including Baguio City), Davao del Sur (including Davao City), Iloilo (including Iloilo City), Misamis Oriental (including Dagayan de Oro), Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Pangasinan (including Dagupan), Western Samar, and Zamboanga del sur (including Zamboanga City) are still considered high-risk areas.
Cavite, Batangas, and Laguna are meanwhile placed under strict monitoring. Experts added that Cagayan and Isabela must also be observed due to their low hospital capacity.
“Kahit na sabihin natin nag-iimprove ‘yung Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, mataas pa rin ‘yung case load nila. So ilalagay pa rin namin sila sa high-risk areas, based on attack rate, based on case load, based on hospital utilization (Even if we say that Cavite, Batangas, and Laguna are improving, their case load is still high. We will still place them under high-risk areas based on attack rate, case load, and hospital utilization),” Prof. Ranjit Rye explained.
The research group is recommending to the national government to strengthen testing, tracing, and isolation and to consider imposing stricter quarantine classification on high-risk areas with low hospital capacity.
The Department of Health (DOH) explained that the said areas were considered high-risk due to the high average daily attack rate (ADAR).
“Dapat ang mga probinsya natin na mino-monitor natin, dapat ‘yung ADAR natin, darating tayo roon sa point na less than one na lang sya per 100,000 population (Provinces being monitored must reach an ADAR that is less than one per 100,000 population),” DOH USec. Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
“Ibig sabihin, ‘yung (Which means that the) risk of being infected in that area is below one and very minimal, and so it is already manageable,” Vergeire added.
As of Oct. 8, there are 331,869 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 274,318 recoveries, and 6,069 fatalities nationwide. – Report from Mark Fetalco
