According to the Department of Health on Friday, the Cordillera Administrative Region is at “moderate risk” of COVID-19 due to the drop in new cases of the disease.
The region has a negative 24 percent 2-week growth change while its average daily attack rate is now at 36.50, according to Dr. Emelita Pangilinan, assistant regional director of DOH-CAR.
“Now, I’m breathing slowly. I hope the decline will continue,” he said in an interview with TeleRadyo.
The provinces of Ifugao and Mountain Province remained at “high risk,” while Abra, Apayao, Baguio City, Benguet, and Kalinga remained “moderate risk.”
Currently, CAR has recorded a total of 87,654 COVID-19 cases.
According to Pangilinan, there are only 7,126 active COVID-19 cases in the region. This is lower than in recent weeks at 10,000 to 12,000 active cases.
Baguio City leads with the most COVID-19 cases in CAR, with 28,747. It was followed by Benguet (20,825), Kalinga (9,335) and Ifugao (9,218).
The DOH previously considered CAR a “high risk” in COVID-19 due to increased infection. In addition, the region’s bed and intensive care unit capacity were also at “high risk” at the time.
The transmission of COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila continues to drop to only 0.47 and is expected to decrease further until the end of October.
COVID-19 cases continue to drop
According to Dr. Guido David of the OCTA Research Group, apart from the drop in the incidence of Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila, the number of cases continues to drop nationwide.
According to him, the 7-day average in the Philippines is 6,416, while in the National Capital Region, it is 1,156. Therefore, the reproduction number of COVID nationwide reaches 0.55.
The reproduction number is the number of people infected with COVID by a patient.
When the reproduction number is less than 1, it is an indication that the infection is slowing down.
Meanwhile, health authorities and experts have indicated the possibility of lowering the classification to Alert Level 2 in Metro Manila amid the expected return of the number of COVID-19 cases to pre-Delta numbers.
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the positivity rate in Metro Manila is now 11% while 17% at the national level, where the seven-day average was recorded at 1,156 or close to the pre-Delta variant level.
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