By Ma. Teresa Montemayor | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The Philippines remained at “very low risk” classification for COVID-19 while countries in East Asia are experiencing a surge in new cases, the OCTA Research Group said Sunday, Mar. 20.
In a tweet, OCTA Research Group Fellow Dr. Guido David said the country’s average daily attack rate (ADAR) is 0.47 as of Mar. 18.
The growth rate is at minus 22% and the seven-day average of new cases is at 527 per 100,000 individuals.
Timor-Leste, Taiwan, Cambodia, and China are also “very low risk” for COVID-19.
Their ADARs range from 0.13 to 0.86 while their seven-day average of new cases ranges from 2 to 1,885.
South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei are classified as severe based on their ADAR, which is the average number of cases in a week per 100,000 people.
South Korea and Vietnam have high ADAR of 788.15 and 281.52, respectively, while their growth rates are at 42% and 38%, respectively.
Brunei, also “severe”, has an ADAR of 482.60 but the growth rate (new cases for the week compared to the previous week) is at minus 43%.
In terms of growth rate, China is at 362% while Laos is at 185%, although they are still classified as “very low” and “moderate”, respectively, as their ADAR is at 0.13 and 9.83, respectively.
For the past week, South Korea had 404,666 new cases and Vietnam 274,025.
Vietnam will host the 31st Southeast Asian Games from May 12 to 23, with about 10,000 athletes from 11 nations participating.
Organizers said strict protocols will be implemented, including limiting or barring spectators who would want to witness the 526 events in 40 sports.
The biennial meet was reset from its original schedule November 21 to December 2 last year due to the pandemic. (PNA) – bny
